Essential The Africa the Media Doesn't Tell You About
- Thread starter TommyHilltrigga
- Start date
its a weak correlation if you think about it. my first question is how old are black majority countries vs. white majority countries
Parts of Australia had self governance since the 1850s
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BOKO HARAM: FG turns to Russia, China as USA, UK fail Nigeria
on September 20, 2014 / in Headlines 12:00 am / Comments
By Ben Agande
THE emerging scenario in the fight against terror and the steps Nigeria’s government has taken would have resulted in global sensation during the cold war. The United States would fight to keep their allies.
They would never easily lose any of their allies to then Soviet Union as now represented by Russia which has, although, embraced free market economy.
Nigeria, for years, enjoyed close ties with the West and was seen as a US ally. But the seeming snub or nonchalant attitude towards it by its traditional allies has reportedly compelled Nigeria to turn to Russia and China for the training of its military as well as acquisition of military hardware to fight Boko Haram insurgents.
Highly placed military and intelligence sources in Abuja told Saturday Vanguard that the decision to turn to the other two world military powers was an interim measure to roll back the military advances made by the Boko Haram insurgents who have gained some grounds in seizing and controlling some towns and Villages in the north eastern states of Borno and Adamawa.
Already, Nigerian security personnel from the Army, Police, Department of State Services (DSS) have been dispatched to Russia for training as Special Forces to combat the Boko Haram insurgents who are mounting stiff challenge to the Nigerian security services.
According to Saturday Vanguard investigations, following the increasing sophistication of the Boko Haram terrorists, the Nigerian government approached American and British governments to procure arms for its armed forces in order to effectively counter the insurgents but the two western governments have continued to dither, a situation that may have been responsible for some of the gains recorded by terrorists in recent times.
A senior security Source told Saturday Vanguard: “the United States and Britain appear unwilling to provide arms to our armed forces. It is surprising because these are two friendly countries to Nigeria which is under threat from terrorists. We have no option but to look somewhere else for our needs pending when the issues are resolved at the diplomatic level by our government.”
This remark underscored the current lukewarm attitude of both countries to the Federal Government. The USA had said that it would not assist Nigeria with land forces and would not also share intelligence with the Nigerian military. Sources said that they did not trust the Nigerian military which was accused of lacking professionalism and which also had moles within. But Nigeria expected better assistance from USA, Britain and the like. But their support has fallen below expectation.
Saturday Vanguard gathered that one of the options was to turn to Russia which has always been willing to supply weapons and some other logistics to Nigeria when other western countries are not forthcoming. The Nigeria Air force has several Russian fighter jets in its fleet.
It was gathered that Nigeria has entered into contract with Russian Arms manufacturers for the supply of high calibre weapons to the Nigerian Army to combat the insurgents in the North east and has begun discussion with the Israeli government on possible supply of military hardware.
“When the Chief of Army staff said recently that the Nigerian army would soon take possession of weapons that would reverse the trend in the North east, he was referring to the deal between Nigeria and some Russian arms manufacturers. We are also in discussion with Israeli companies. We don’t want to be held ransom by our traditional allies. That is why we are expanding our sources of supply,” the source said.
As part of the agreement between Nigeria and Russia, a group of Nigerian security personnel are already in Eastern Europe for training as Special Forces with another batch, made up of the Army, Police and DSS billed to leave Nigeria next month to join the other three batches that are already in training.
President Jonathan recently, at the passing out parade of cadets at the Nigerian Defence Academy, said the armed forces would set up a Special Forces Brigade to combat terrorism in the country.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/09/boko-haram-fg-turns-russia-china-usa-uk-fail-nigeria/
on September 20, 2014 / in Headlines 12:00 am / Comments
By Ben Agande
THE emerging scenario in the fight against terror and the steps Nigeria’s government has taken would have resulted in global sensation during the cold war. The United States would fight to keep their allies.
They would never easily lose any of their allies to then Soviet Union as now represented by Russia which has, although, embraced free market economy.
Nigeria, for years, enjoyed close ties with the West and was seen as a US ally. But the seeming snub or nonchalant attitude towards it by its traditional allies has reportedly compelled Nigeria to turn to Russia and China for the training of its military as well as acquisition of military hardware to fight Boko Haram insurgents.
Highly placed military and intelligence sources in Abuja told Saturday Vanguard that the decision to turn to the other two world military powers was an interim measure to roll back the military advances made by the Boko Haram insurgents who have gained some grounds in seizing and controlling some towns and Villages in the north eastern states of Borno and Adamawa.
Already, Nigerian security personnel from the Army, Police, Department of State Services (DSS) have been dispatched to Russia for training as Special Forces to combat the Boko Haram insurgents who are mounting stiff challenge to the Nigerian security services.
According to Saturday Vanguard investigations, following the increasing sophistication of the Boko Haram terrorists, the Nigerian government approached American and British governments to procure arms for its armed forces in order to effectively counter the insurgents but the two western governments have continued to dither, a situation that may have been responsible for some of the gains recorded by terrorists in recent times.
A senior security Source told Saturday Vanguard: “the United States and Britain appear unwilling to provide arms to our armed forces. It is surprising because these are two friendly countries to Nigeria which is under threat from terrorists. We have no option but to look somewhere else for our needs pending when the issues are resolved at the diplomatic level by our government.”
This remark underscored the current lukewarm attitude of both countries to the Federal Government. The USA had said that it would not assist Nigeria with land forces and would not also share intelligence with the Nigerian military. Sources said that they did not trust the Nigerian military which was accused of lacking professionalism and which also had moles within. But Nigeria expected better assistance from USA, Britain and the like. But their support has fallen below expectation.
Saturday Vanguard gathered that one of the options was to turn to Russia which has always been willing to supply weapons and some other logistics to Nigeria when other western countries are not forthcoming. The Nigeria Air force has several Russian fighter jets in its fleet.
It was gathered that Nigeria has entered into contract with Russian Arms manufacturers for the supply of high calibre weapons to the Nigerian Army to combat the insurgents in the North east and has begun discussion with the Israeli government on possible supply of military hardware.
“When the Chief of Army staff said recently that the Nigerian army would soon take possession of weapons that would reverse the trend in the North east, he was referring to the deal between Nigeria and some Russian arms manufacturers. We are also in discussion with Israeli companies. We don’t want to be held ransom by our traditional allies. That is why we are expanding our sources of supply,” the source said.
As part of the agreement between Nigeria and Russia, a group of Nigerian security personnel are already in Eastern Europe for training as Special Forces with another batch, made up of the Army, Police and DSS billed to leave Nigeria next month to join the other three batches that are already in training.
President Jonathan recently, at the passing out parade of cadets at the Nigerian Defence Academy, said the armed forces would set up a Special Forces Brigade to combat terrorism in the country.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/09/boko-haram-fg-turns-russia-china-usa-uk-fail-nigeria/
TMNT4000
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Nigeria to explore use of nuclear energy
Sep 19, 2014
0 18
Nuclear Reactors: Lagos, a state in Nigeria is considering exploring nuclear energy as an alternative to power source
The governor of Lagos State in Nigeria, Babatunde Fashola, has said that the government is considering exploring nuclear energy as an alternative power supply in the state of the country. During the 4th Corporate Assembly, the governor said the government recognized how power supply was important to the country’s economic development in the state, and thus it’s resolution to explore other options to address the problem.
In the business dubbed “BRF Meets Business” and held at the Lekki Free Zone, Fashola said that the decision for exploring nuclear energy as an alternative to see the Nigerian state have adequate power, was one of the issues members attending the 2014 Economic Summit (Ehingbeti) had disagreed on.
According to him, two hours were devoted to discuss the matter during the State Executive Council meeting on Monday. He said they discussed how nuclear energy, as an alternative for power, could be deployed “within the next 5 to 24 months.”
Nigeria has been suffering problems of power and related infrastructure and has launched an ambitious plan of generating 40, 000 MW by 2020. It thus requires the necessary infrastructure to support the generation and distribution.
http://constructionreviewonline.com/2014/09/19/nigeria-explore-use-nuclear-energy/
Sep 19, 2014
0 18
Nuclear Reactors: Lagos, a state in Nigeria is considering exploring nuclear energy as an alternative to power source
The governor of Lagos State in Nigeria, Babatunde Fashola, has said that the government is considering exploring nuclear energy as an alternative power supply in the state of the country. During the 4th Corporate Assembly, the governor said the government recognized how power supply was important to the country’s economic development in the state, and thus it’s resolution to explore other options to address the problem.
In the business dubbed “BRF Meets Business” and held at the Lekki Free Zone, Fashola said that the decision for exploring nuclear energy as an alternative to see the Nigerian state have adequate power, was one of the issues members attending the 2014 Economic Summit (Ehingbeti) had disagreed on.
According to him, two hours were devoted to discuss the matter during the State Executive Council meeting on Monday. He said they discussed how nuclear energy, as an alternative for power, could be deployed “within the next 5 to 24 months.”
Nigeria has been suffering problems of power and related infrastructure and has launched an ambitious plan of generating 40, 000 MW by 2020. It thus requires the necessary infrastructure to support the generation and distribution.
http://constructionreviewonline.com/2014/09/19/nigeria-explore-use-nuclear-energy/
Sub-Saharan Africa has world’s lowest smartphone adoption
Source: Ghana|Adom Business|Samuel Nii Narku Dowuona/samuel.dowuona@myjoyonline.com
Date: 20-09-2014 Time: 05:09:35:pm
A new GSMA Intelligence Report on global smartphone connections said the rate at which smartphones are being adopted in sub-Sahara Africa is only 15 per cent, which is the lowest worldwide.
The Report titled “Smartphone forecasts and assumptions, 2007-2020″ found that smartphones account for one in three mobile connections today, representing more than 2 billion mobile connections.
It also noted that the number of smartphone connections will grow three-fold over the next six years to reach 6 billion by 2020, and that would be driven largely by a boost in smartphone connections in the developing world and expansion of mobile broadband access.
Despite the projected growth of the global smartphone market, sub-Saharan Africa still lags behind when it comes to smartphone connections.
According to GSMA, sub- Saharan Africa’s smartphone adoption rate is currently 15 per cent. This is the lowest rate worldwide in terms of smartphone adoption now, but the GSMA is optimistic about sub-Saharan Africa as it expects to see changes over the next few years.
“Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to be the fastest-growing smartphone region over the next six years as affordable devices become more widely available and mobile broadband networks are deployed across Africa,” the GSMA report states.
The GSMA further predicted that by 2020, four out of every five-smartphone connection worldwide would come from the developing world.
Affordable Smartphones
The Report also pointed out that the main factors driving smartphone adoption in the developing world are affordability, subsidies by telecoms operators and data packages that telecom operators offer.
The GSMA Intelligence is confident that moving forward, those three factors and others would be the main drivers of increased smartphone adoption in the developing world, and eventually place the developing world way ahead of the developed world in terms of smartphone adoption.
Indeed, the report noted that the developing world passed the developed world in smartphone connections in 2013 on the back of affordable smartphone and it has since been leading.
In Ghana, for instance, some telecom operators have reported increased data consumption and revenues on their respective networks on the back of affordable smartphones.
MTN Ghana has said data consumption increased on its network after it introduced a number of affordable smartphones like Huawei Ascend Y210, Ascend Y220 and one of Tecno’s Phantom series among others.
Meanwhile, affordable smartphone dealer, Tecno Ghana is also introducing yet another affordable smartphone, Tecno Phantom Z unto the market, and promises data packages across networks in Ghana. Industry watchers believe that would shore up smartphone connection in Ghana and also drive internet penetration.
“The smartphone has sparked a wave of global innovation that has brought new services to millions and efficiencies to businesses of every type,” the report quoted Hyunmi Yang, Chief Strategy Officer at the GSMA as saying.
“As the study shows, smartphones will be the driving force of mobile industry growth over the next six years, with one billion new smartphone connections expected over the next 18 months alone,” Yang explained.
According to the report, Asia Pacific today accounts for about half of global smartphone connections, even though smartphone penetration in the region is currently calculated at below 40 per cent. The Asia Pacific total is boosted by the inclusion of China, the world’s largest smartphone market, with more than 629 million smartphone connections, states the GSMA report.
Below is a list of the GSMA’s top 10 countries with the highest smartphone connections as of Q2 in 2014:
Country Smartphone connections (millions)
Companies with the GSMA include handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organizations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities.
The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.
Source: Ghana|Adom Business|Samuel Nii Narku Dowuona/samuel.dowuona@myjoyonline.com
Date: 20-09-2014 Time: 05:09:35:pm
A new GSMA Intelligence Report on global smartphone connections said the rate at which smartphones are being adopted in sub-Sahara Africa is only 15 per cent, which is the lowest worldwide.
The Report titled “Smartphone forecasts and assumptions, 2007-2020″ found that smartphones account for one in three mobile connections today, representing more than 2 billion mobile connections.
It also noted that the number of smartphone connections will grow three-fold over the next six years to reach 6 billion by 2020, and that would be driven largely by a boost in smartphone connections in the developing world and expansion of mobile broadband access.
Despite the projected growth of the global smartphone market, sub-Saharan Africa still lags behind when it comes to smartphone connections.
According to GSMA, sub- Saharan Africa’s smartphone adoption rate is currently 15 per cent. This is the lowest rate worldwide in terms of smartphone adoption now, but the GSMA is optimistic about sub-Saharan Africa as it expects to see changes over the next few years.
“Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to be the fastest-growing smartphone region over the next six years as affordable devices become more widely available and mobile broadband networks are deployed across Africa,” the GSMA report states.
The GSMA further predicted that by 2020, four out of every five-smartphone connection worldwide would come from the developing world.
Affordable Smartphones
The Report also pointed out that the main factors driving smartphone adoption in the developing world are affordability, subsidies by telecoms operators and data packages that telecom operators offer.
The GSMA Intelligence is confident that moving forward, those three factors and others would be the main drivers of increased smartphone adoption in the developing world, and eventually place the developing world way ahead of the developed world in terms of smartphone adoption.
Indeed, the report noted that the developing world passed the developed world in smartphone connections in 2013 on the back of affordable smartphone and it has since been leading.
In Ghana, for instance, some telecom operators have reported increased data consumption and revenues on their respective networks on the back of affordable smartphones.
MTN Ghana has said data consumption increased on its network after it introduced a number of affordable smartphones like Huawei Ascend Y210, Ascend Y220 and one of Tecno’s Phantom series among others.
Meanwhile, affordable smartphone dealer, Tecno Ghana is also introducing yet another affordable smartphone, Tecno Phantom Z unto the market, and promises data packages across networks in Ghana. Industry watchers believe that would shore up smartphone connection in Ghana and also drive internet penetration.
“The smartphone has sparked a wave of global innovation that has brought new services to millions and efficiencies to businesses of every type,” the report quoted Hyunmi Yang, Chief Strategy Officer at the GSMA as saying.
“As the study shows, smartphones will be the driving force of mobile industry growth over the next six years, with one billion new smartphone connections expected over the next 18 months alone,” Yang explained.
According to the report, Asia Pacific today accounts for about half of global smartphone connections, even though smartphone penetration in the region is currently calculated at below 40 per cent. The Asia Pacific total is boosted by the inclusion of China, the world’s largest smartphone market, with more than 629 million smartphone connections, states the GSMA report.
Below is a list of the GSMA’s top 10 countries with the highest smartphone connections as of Q2 in 2014:
Country Smartphone connections (millions)
- China – 629.2
- USA – 196.8
- Brazil – 141.8
- India – 111.0
- Indonesia – 95.0
- Russian Federation – 83.9
- Japan – 66.1
- Germany – 48.5
- United Kingdom – 45.4
- France – 43.5
Companies with the GSMA include handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organizations in industry sectors such as financial services, healthcare, media, transport and utilities.
The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress and Mobile Asia Expo.
Dar prepares to float $700 million bond in December
PRINTRATING
Tanzania plans to spend part of the funds raised from the Eurobond on infrastructure development. PHOTO | FILE
By ERIC KABENDERA The EastAfrican
Posted Saturday, September 20 2014 at 14:25
IN SUMMARY
The government is hoping to capitalise on investor appetite for African bond and stable markets that saw Kenya raise $2 billion in June at fairly affordable terms.
Investment Bank Dyer and Blair, which was one of the co-managers of Kenya’s Eurobond, said in a briefing to its investors that the Eurobond is set to be issued within the timelines announced by President Jakaya Kikwete early this year.
“Tanzania joins a growing list of African nations issuing dollar debts to finance infrastructure projects needed to bolster growth. The Eurobond is set to be issued in December 2014, and there are expectations the issuance could benefit from the precedent set by Kenya’s $2 billion bond in June 2014,” Dyer and Blair said in the East Africa Economic Flash Note dated September 2014.
ALSO READ: What’s with all these international sovereign bonds by African governments?
Dyer and Blair and top law firms — Anjarwalla & Khanna and Kaplan & Stratton — were part of a consortium of 15 transaction advisers in Kenya’s bond.
In April, President Kikwete said the bond would be launched any time between July this year and June 2015. However, he cautioned that the actual amount targeted and the timing would be purely determined by market conditions.
“We have been working on $700 million (for the Eurobond), we will see if we can go higher than that. We cannot say let’s borrow at any cost,” President Kikwete told the Reuters Africa Investment Summit in Dar es salaam.
Two months earlier, Tanzania Finance Permanent Secretary Servacius Likwelile said the transaction had been pushed forward after delays in getting a risk assessment from Citigroup slowed down the issuing of credit ratings. He suggested that up to $950 million would be raised.
READ: Dar lays the groundwork for Eurobond
The government had hoped to get the rating by December last year before variations arose on the agreed terms even after Citigroup had submitted the proposals. Neither Citigroup nor the Treasury could be reached to comment on when the rating would be secured.
Dr Joseph Massawe, Bank of Tanzania (BoT) director of economic research directed The EastAfrican to the Ministry of Finance for comments, saying the bank was not directly handling the issue.
A senior economics lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam Dr Haji Semboja, said global standards required that the government make a decision to sell the bonds once a credit rating was secured.
Investor thirst
Analysts said the government’s determination to push through the debt by year end appears meant to capitalise on investor thirst for East African debt evident in the oversubscription of the Kenya Eurobond, corporate bonds and the initial public offering of Swala Oil and Gas at the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange a month ago.
“The market is ready for another East African bond. The uptake of Kenya’s sovereign debt, corporate bonds and Swala Energy shares are good indications,” said Mercyline Wanjiru, a research analyst based in Nairobi.
On concerns that market conditions may change, making the bond expensive, Ms Wanjiru said this would depend on the credit rating.
“The yields on bonds are attractive. Tanzania does not have a previous rating and this will be the main factor,” she said.
Tanzania intends to fund the $1.23 billion Mtwara gas-pipeline project, a $10 billion port at Bagamoyo, new roads, railways and power plants with the funds raised. The projects are considered essential to reduce energy and food costs, the biggest contributors to inflation.
READ: Lindi chosen to host first gas project
Power costs in Tanzania at $0.44 per kilowatt hour are more than three times the Africa average of $0.14 per kilowatt hour and six times the $0.07 average East Asia, African Development Bank data shows.
“Following discoveries of natural gas reserves, foreign investor interest is expected to increase. This could be attributed to the mounting up of the country’s prospects for becoming a net gas exporter in the next three years, which will place Tanzania as the next big economy in the region,” the Dyer and Blair note read.
Tanzania’s economy is expected to expand by 7.4 per cent this year, compared with 7.1 per cent last year. The GDP growth averaged 7.69 per cent in the five years to 2013, nearly two times Kenya’s 3.9 per cent over the same period.
Rwanda became the first East African nation to raise money through sovereign bonds during which $400 was raised in April. After Kenya raised its own in June Uganda said it would not go that route for fear of falling into a debt trap.
Mr Likwelile told Bloomberg in February that the country hoped to get a credit rating of at least BB, placing it two grades above Kenya, which attracted a B+.
“If we look into the future for what Tanzania has, we think we deserve slightly higher,” Mr Likwelile said, adding that the total debt to gross domestic product ratio was sustainable at 24.8 per cent.
The country had a deficit of 6.2 per cent last year, above the 5.5 per cent agreed with the International Monetary Fund, which could worsen because of projected shortfalls in revenues and high infrastructure financing needs.
Tanzania’s was first expected to issue the Eurobond two years ago but this was dropped because of the global economic crisis.
Tanzania plans to spend part of the funds raised from the Eurobond on infrastructure development. PHOTO | FILE
By ERIC KABENDERA The EastAfrican
Posted Saturday, September 20 2014 at 14:25
IN SUMMARY
- Analysts said the government’s determination to push through the debt by year end appears meant to capitalise on investor thirst for East African debt.
- Tanzania intends to fund the $1.23 billion Mtwara gas-pipeline project, a $10 billion port at Bagamoyo, new roads, railways and power plants with the funds raised.
- Tanzania’s was first expected to issue the Eurobond two years ago but this was dropped because of the global economic crisis.
The government is hoping to capitalise on investor appetite for African bond and stable markets that saw Kenya raise $2 billion in June at fairly affordable terms.
Investment Bank Dyer and Blair, which was one of the co-managers of Kenya’s Eurobond, said in a briefing to its investors that the Eurobond is set to be issued within the timelines announced by President Jakaya Kikwete early this year.
“Tanzania joins a growing list of African nations issuing dollar debts to finance infrastructure projects needed to bolster growth. The Eurobond is set to be issued in December 2014, and there are expectations the issuance could benefit from the precedent set by Kenya’s $2 billion bond in June 2014,” Dyer and Blair said in the East Africa Economic Flash Note dated September 2014.
ALSO READ: What’s with all these international sovereign bonds by African governments?
Dyer and Blair and top law firms — Anjarwalla & Khanna and Kaplan & Stratton — were part of a consortium of 15 transaction advisers in Kenya’s bond.
In April, President Kikwete said the bond would be launched any time between July this year and June 2015. However, he cautioned that the actual amount targeted and the timing would be purely determined by market conditions.
“We have been working on $700 million (for the Eurobond), we will see if we can go higher than that. We cannot say let’s borrow at any cost,” President Kikwete told the Reuters Africa Investment Summit in Dar es salaam.
Two months earlier, Tanzania Finance Permanent Secretary Servacius Likwelile said the transaction had been pushed forward after delays in getting a risk assessment from Citigroup slowed down the issuing of credit ratings. He suggested that up to $950 million would be raised.
READ: Dar lays the groundwork for Eurobond
The government had hoped to get the rating by December last year before variations arose on the agreed terms even after Citigroup had submitted the proposals. Neither Citigroup nor the Treasury could be reached to comment on when the rating would be secured.
Dr Joseph Massawe, Bank of Tanzania (BoT) director of economic research directed The EastAfrican to the Ministry of Finance for comments, saying the bank was not directly handling the issue.
A senior economics lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam Dr Haji Semboja, said global standards required that the government make a decision to sell the bonds once a credit rating was secured.
Investor thirst
Analysts said the government’s determination to push through the debt by year end appears meant to capitalise on investor thirst for East African debt evident in the oversubscription of the Kenya Eurobond, corporate bonds and the initial public offering of Swala Oil and Gas at the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange a month ago.
“The market is ready for another East African bond. The uptake of Kenya’s sovereign debt, corporate bonds and Swala Energy shares are good indications,” said Mercyline Wanjiru, a research analyst based in Nairobi.
On concerns that market conditions may change, making the bond expensive, Ms Wanjiru said this would depend on the credit rating.
“The yields on bonds are attractive. Tanzania does not have a previous rating and this will be the main factor,” she said.
Tanzania intends to fund the $1.23 billion Mtwara gas-pipeline project, a $10 billion port at Bagamoyo, new roads, railways and power plants with the funds raised. The projects are considered essential to reduce energy and food costs, the biggest contributors to inflation.
READ: Lindi chosen to host first gas project
Power costs in Tanzania at $0.44 per kilowatt hour are more than three times the Africa average of $0.14 per kilowatt hour and six times the $0.07 average East Asia, African Development Bank data shows.
“Following discoveries of natural gas reserves, foreign investor interest is expected to increase. This could be attributed to the mounting up of the country’s prospects for becoming a net gas exporter in the next three years, which will place Tanzania as the next big economy in the region,” the Dyer and Blair note read.
Tanzania’s economy is expected to expand by 7.4 per cent this year, compared with 7.1 per cent last year. The GDP growth averaged 7.69 per cent in the five years to 2013, nearly two times Kenya’s 3.9 per cent over the same period.
Rwanda became the first East African nation to raise money through sovereign bonds during which $400 was raised in April. After Kenya raised its own in June Uganda said it would not go that route for fear of falling into a debt trap.
Mr Likwelile told Bloomberg in February that the country hoped to get a credit rating of at least BB, placing it two grades above Kenya, which attracted a B+.
“If we look into the future for what Tanzania has, we think we deserve slightly higher,” Mr Likwelile said, adding that the total debt to gross domestic product ratio was sustainable at 24.8 per cent.
The country had a deficit of 6.2 per cent last year, above the 5.5 per cent agreed with the International Monetary Fund, which could worsen because of projected shortfalls in revenues and high infrastructure financing needs.
Tanzania’s was first expected to issue the Eurobond two years ago but this was dropped because of the global economic crisis.
Ebola outbreak 'pretty much contained' in Senegal and Nigeria
GENEVA Mon Sep 22, 2014 7:51am EDT
(Reuters) - Two of the five countries affected by the world's worst ever Ebola outbreak are managing to halt the spread of the disease, the World Health Organization said on Monday, although the overall death toll rose to 2,793 out of 5,762 cases.
"On the whole, the outbreaks in Senegal and Nigeria are pretty much contained," a WHO statement said. There were no new deaths in Guinea, four in Sierra Leone and 39 in Liberia.
A separate Ebola outbreak has killed 40 people in Democratic Republic of Congo, where there have been 71 cases, it said in a statement on the situation as of Sept. 18.
(Reporting by Tom Miles; editing by Stephanie Nebehay)
GENEVA Mon Sep 22, 2014 7:51am EDT
(Reuters) - Two of the five countries affected by the world's worst ever Ebola outbreak are managing to halt the spread of the disease, the World Health Organization said on Monday, although the overall death toll rose to 2,793 out of 5,762 cases.
"On the whole, the outbreaks in Senegal and Nigeria are pretty much contained," a WHO statement said. There were no new deaths in Guinea, four in Sierra Leone and 39 in Liberia.
A separate Ebola outbreak has killed 40 people in Democratic Republic of Congo, where there have been 71 cases, it said in a statement on the situation as of Sept. 18.
(Reporting by Tom Miles; editing by Stephanie Nebehay)
World Health Organization commends Nigeria over Ebola
September 19, 2014Nnenna Ibeh
The World Health Organization, WHO, has commended efforts by the Nigerian government in containing the spread of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease.
Speaking during an Emergency session of the United Nations Security Council on Ebola, on Thursday, the Director General, WHO, Margaret Chan, told participants to take a cue from the stable conditions in Nigeria and Senegal.
She said that the disease which could be contained will take some time.
“It will take some time, but the Ebola outbreak can be contained. Look at the stable situation in Nigeria and Senegal,” Ms. Chan said.
She said the outbreak which has affected five West African countries is likely the greatest peacetime challenge that the UN and its agencies have ever faced, with reports showing that over 5000 people have been infected with the disease that has killed over 2,500 others.
Nigeria witnessed a blow from the disease outbreak when a Liberian- American, Patrick Sawyer, imported the deadly virus into the country on July 20.
Mr. Sawyer had evaded surveillance in Monrovia, Liberia, after his sister died of the Ebola disease.
He died on July 24 at the First Consultant Hospital, Obalende, Lagos State.
Following the outbreak of the disease, Nigeria recorded 19 confirmed cases with 12 survivors and seven deaths. The last case of the disease was successfully discharged on September 10 from the Ebola Isolation Center.
After weeks of fighting the deadly disease, Nigeria celebrates one week as an Ebola free country.
- See more at: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news...vr.it&utm_medium=twitter#sthash.mlQj2s5h.dpuf
September 19, 2014Nnenna Ibeh
The World Health Organization, WHO, has commended efforts by the Nigerian government in containing the spread of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease.
Speaking during an Emergency session of the United Nations Security Council on Ebola, on Thursday, the Director General, WHO, Margaret Chan, told participants to take a cue from the stable conditions in Nigeria and Senegal.
She said that the disease which could be contained will take some time.
“It will take some time, but the Ebola outbreak can be contained. Look at the stable situation in Nigeria and Senegal,” Ms. Chan said.
She said the outbreak which has affected five West African countries is likely the greatest peacetime challenge that the UN and its agencies have ever faced, with reports showing that over 5000 people have been infected with the disease that has killed over 2,500 others.
Nigeria witnessed a blow from the disease outbreak when a Liberian- American, Patrick Sawyer, imported the deadly virus into the country on July 20.
Mr. Sawyer had evaded surveillance in Monrovia, Liberia, after his sister died of the Ebola disease.
He died on July 24 at the First Consultant Hospital, Obalende, Lagos State.
Following the outbreak of the disease, Nigeria recorded 19 confirmed cases with 12 survivors and seven deaths. The last case of the disease was successfully discharged on September 10 from the Ebola Isolation Center.
After weeks of fighting the deadly disease, Nigeria celebrates one week as an Ebola free country.
- See more at: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news...vr.it&utm_medium=twitter#sthash.mlQj2s5h.dpuf
Ebola could kill 100,000 and needs $1 billion to defeat, but Nigeria shows the world how it's done
21 SEP 2014 10:31SAMANTHA SPOONER
For over a week there has not been a single new case of Ebola in Nigeria
Response volunteers in Nigeria (Photo, CDC)
AS the “war” against Ebola intensifies in West Africa, the World Health Organisation gives a harrowing warning that the number of Ebola cases could start doubling every three weeks and to prevent the outbreak from becoming a “human catastrophe” it will cost nearly $1 billion to contain.
Already the numbers are staggering. There have been at least 2,400 deaths, with nearly half of the 5,000 cases occurring in the past three weeks. Countries across the globe are now rallying to help contain the spread, Obama declared that the US will send 3,000 troops, China has dispatched 59 medics, and Cuba 165.
In a report released last week by the World Health Organisation, the group describes how it will take between six to nine months to control the outbreak and that the “climate of intense fear” is having negative repercussions on the ground. This is evident in Guinea where the government has said seven people, who were part of a team sent to educate villagers in the southeast about Ebola, were found dead.
Sierra Leone imposed a three-day lockdown to fight the disease.
Other experts have also warned that a worst-case scenario would see an additional 77,181 to 277,124 Ebola cases by the end of 2014.
The case count in West Africa’s unprecedented Ebola outbreak could grow by tens or even hundreds of thousands of cases before the end of this year, a new study suggests.
The work, published Thursday in the online journal Eurosurveillance, said that if growth continues at its current pace, a worst-case scenario would see an additional 77,181 to 277,124 cases by the end of 2014.
However, authors suggested it is unlikely the worst-case scenario would come to pass because containment efforts are being scaled up in response to the crisis. Nonetheless, using that figure, and based on the average fatality rate of the West African Ebola outbreak of just over 50%, some experts are projecting that the disease could have killed up to 100,000 people by year’s end.
Buying blood
The WHO has also warned that desperate patients are turning to the black market to buy blood from survivors of the virus. The report states that while “studies suggest blood transfusions from [Ebola] survivors might prevent or treat Ebola virus infection in others…the results of the studies are still difficult to interpret…More research is needed” – buying blood off the black market is dangerous and could lead to the spread of other infections, including HIV and other ailments.
The “three main affected countries, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, are struggling to control the infection against a backdrop of severely compromised health systems [and] significant deficits in capacity.” Fortunately, there is one country that, amid all the bad news, has come out as a role model for the rest of the world – Nigeria.
Pay attention to Nigeria
On September 17th, the Nigerian Ministry of Health made a statement saying that for one week there had not been a single new case of Ebola in Nigeria. In fact, the international confidence in Nigeria’s ability to cope with the outbreak is apparent - it is the only country of the five in the region affected by the mass outbreak that has been given permission to send its pilgrims to Mecca for the world’s largest gathering of Muslims. This will however entail a three-tier health screening check before Muslims are even allowed to board the plane.
Despite the outbreak occurring in July, the Nigerian authorities have so far been able to successfully track and contain it. The total number of confirmed Ebola cases remain at 19, with seven fatalities. It was first detected when Patrick Sawyer, a man coming from Liberia, died in Lagos and then spread to a small number of cases linked to him in Lagos in Port Harcourt.
Lagos is one of the world’s largest and most densely populated cities, with a population of over 20 million and is a travel hub in Africa - this was one of the worst case scenarios for an Ebola outbreak. But what could have quickly escalated into a national disaster didn’t.
National movement
With Africa’s largest population of nearly 180 million, and federal and state governments that are noted for ineptitude, and authorities struggling to defeat a Boko Haram insurgency that is mostly confined to the northeast of the country, how come it been quite competent in dealing with Ebola?
To begin with, Nigerian authorities were quick to act in what can only be described as a national movement. Epidemiologists — health professionals who investigate patterns and causes of disease - quickly tried to track down anyone who may have come into contact with Sawyer after he walked off the plane in Lagos. Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan approved more than $11 million toward containing the virus, within days declared the outbreak “a national emergency”, and was quick to urge the public not to spread “false information about Ebola” - which the government sought to tackle by establishing an “Ebola hotline” and used social and traditional media to get the word out. Major disease awareness campaigns and protocols to improve sanitation were implemented in transportation systems, schools, hotels and offices throughout the country.
In all the major hotels, there are sanitisers at every corner. Among Nigeria’s wealthy class, Ebola checks were imposed even for private parties at homes…you had a high temperature or wore unsually sweaty, you wouldn’t be allowed in whoever you were.
One month after Sawyer landed in Lagos Nigeria hit a stable period. Country Director of the U.S. Centre for Disease Control in Nigeria, Catherine Avery, commended the Federal Government for involving major stakeholders in the control of outbreak of Ebola virus disease which contributed to its containment. This includes every state government in the country that has now instituted emergency screening and response mechanisms, even if they have no reported cases.
Border checks
There are also strict measures up to prevent Ebola from coming into the country undetected. Travellers are being screened at all points of entry into the country and suspected cases are immediately sent to a new, clinical ward in Lagos. It has 40 beds though the government has plans to expand it even further just in case they are needed.
Dozens of people are being watched by Nigerian authorities for symptoms, and the government is using volunteers to gather information on those who may also have been exposed to the virus. The state is also providing the public with plenty of information, showing the systematic procedures in dealing with the outbreak whilst preventing the dangerous spread of misinformation.
Currently, the government states that the contacts under surveillance are; four in Lagos State and 344 in Rivers State. 347 contacts have been discharged from surveillance in Lagos State while 182 contacts have been discharged from surveillance in Rivers State. To help further contain the virus in the Rivers state, President Jonathan recently approved the release of approximately $1.2 million to the Rivers State Government as direct financial support.
Nigeria’s decisive and effective action will further be bolstered by a grant from the African Development Bank (AfDB) which gave Federal Government $1 million in the fight against Ebola.
Geography also favoured Nigeria, it must be admitted. With all its border checks, it still has over 2,000 unmanned unofficial crossings—-so it was lucky that neither Guinea nor Liberia are its immediate neighbours.
Finally, while Nigeria’s states have effective in fighting Ebola, the best case the decisive action by Lagos State, they have one thing that most local and state authorities in Africa, outside South Africa, don’t have - real power and budgets. so they can act effectively if they choose to.
21 SEP 2014 10:31SAMANTHA SPOONER
For over a week there has not been a single new case of Ebola in Nigeria
Response volunteers in Nigeria (Photo, CDC)
AS the “war” against Ebola intensifies in West Africa, the World Health Organisation gives a harrowing warning that the number of Ebola cases could start doubling every three weeks and to prevent the outbreak from becoming a “human catastrophe” it will cost nearly $1 billion to contain.
Already the numbers are staggering. There have been at least 2,400 deaths, with nearly half of the 5,000 cases occurring in the past three weeks. Countries across the globe are now rallying to help contain the spread, Obama declared that the US will send 3,000 troops, China has dispatched 59 medics, and Cuba 165.
In a report released last week by the World Health Organisation, the group describes how it will take between six to nine months to control the outbreak and that the “climate of intense fear” is having negative repercussions on the ground. This is evident in Guinea where the government has said seven people, who were part of a team sent to educate villagers in the southeast about Ebola, were found dead.
Sierra Leone imposed a three-day lockdown to fight the disease.
Other experts have also warned that a worst-case scenario would see an additional 77,181 to 277,124 Ebola cases by the end of 2014.
The case count in West Africa’s unprecedented Ebola outbreak could grow by tens or even hundreds of thousands of cases before the end of this year, a new study suggests.
The work, published Thursday in the online journal Eurosurveillance, said that if growth continues at its current pace, a worst-case scenario would see an additional 77,181 to 277,124 cases by the end of 2014.
However, authors suggested it is unlikely the worst-case scenario would come to pass because containment efforts are being scaled up in response to the crisis. Nonetheless, using that figure, and based on the average fatality rate of the West African Ebola outbreak of just over 50%, some experts are projecting that the disease could have killed up to 100,000 people by year’s end.
Buying blood
The WHO has also warned that desperate patients are turning to the black market to buy blood from survivors of the virus. The report states that while “studies suggest blood transfusions from [Ebola] survivors might prevent or treat Ebola virus infection in others…the results of the studies are still difficult to interpret…More research is needed” – buying blood off the black market is dangerous and could lead to the spread of other infections, including HIV and other ailments.
The “three main affected countries, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, are struggling to control the infection against a backdrop of severely compromised health systems [and] significant deficits in capacity.” Fortunately, there is one country that, amid all the bad news, has come out as a role model for the rest of the world – Nigeria.
Pay attention to Nigeria
On September 17th, the Nigerian Ministry of Health made a statement saying that for one week there had not been a single new case of Ebola in Nigeria. In fact, the international confidence in Nigeria’s ability to cope with the outbreak is apparent - it is the only country of the five in the region affected by the mass outbreak that has been given permission to send its pilgrims to Mecca for the world’s largest gathering of Muslims. This will however entail a three-tier health screening check before Muslims are even allowed to board the plane.
Despite the outbreak occurring in July, the Nigerian authorities have so far been able to successfully track and contain it. The total number of confirmed Ebola cases remain at 19, with seven fatalities. It was first detected when Patrick Sawyer, a man coming from Liberia, died in Lagos and then spread to a small number of cases linked to him in Lagos in Port Harcourt.
Lagos is one of the world’s largest and most densely populated cities, with a population of over 20 million and is a travel hub in Africa - this was one of the worst case scenarios for an Ebola outbreak. But what could have quickly escalated into a national disaster didn’t.
National movement
With Africa’s largest population of nearly 180 million, and federal and state governments that are noted for ineptitude, and authorities struggling to defeat a Boko Haram insurgency that is mostly confined to the northeast of the country, how come it been quite competent in dealing with Ebola?
To begin with, Nigerian authorities were quick to act in what can only be described as a national movement. Epidemiologists — health professionals who investigate patterns and causes of disease - quickly tried to track down anyone who may have come into contact with Sawyer after he walked off the plane in Lagos. Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan approved more than $11 million toward containing the virus, within days declared the outbreak “a national emergency”, and was quick to urge the public not to spread “false information about Ebola” - which the government sought to tackle by establishing an “Ebola hotline” and used social and traditional media to get the word out. Major disease awareness campaigns and protocols to improve sanitation were implemented in transportation systems, schools, hotels and offices throughout the country.
In all the major hotels, there are sanitisers at every corner. Among Nigeria’s wealthy class, Ebola checks were imposed even for private parties at homes…you had a high temperature or wore unsually sweaty, you wouldn’t be allowed in whoever you were.
One month after Sawyer landed in Lagos Nigeria hit a stable period. Country Director of the U.S. Centre for Disease Control in Nigeria, Catherine Avery, commended the Federal Government for involving major stakeholders in the control of outbreak of Ebola virus disease which contributed to its containment. This includes every state government in the country that has now instituted emergency screening and response mechanisms, even if they have no reported cases.
Border checks
There are also strict measures up to prevent Ebola from coming into the country undetected. Travellers are being screened at all points of entry into the country and suspected cases are immediately sent to a new, clinical ward in Lagos. It has 40 beds though the government has plans to expand it even further just in case they are needed.
Dozens of people are being watched by Nigerian authorities for symptoms, and the government is using volunteers to gather information on those who may also have been exposed to the virus. The state is also providing the public with plenty of information, showing the systematic procedures in dealing with the outbreak whilst preventing the dangerous spread of misinformation.
Currently, the government states that the contacts under surveillance are; four in Lagos State and 344 in Rivers State. 347 contacts have been discharged from surveillance in Lagos State while 182 contacts have been discharged from surveillance in Rivers State. To help further contain the virus in the Rivers state, President Jonathan recently approved the release of approximately $1.2 million to the Rivers State Government as direct financial support.
Nigeria’s decisive and effective action will further be bolstered by a grant from the African Development Bank (AfDB) which gave Federal Government $1 million in the fight against Ebola.
Geography also favoured Nigeria, it must be admitted. With all its border checks, it still has over 2,000 unmanned unofficial crossings—-so it was lucky that neither Guinea nor Liberia are its immediate neighbours.
Finally, while Nigeria’s states have effective in fighting Ebola, the best case the decisive action by Lagos State, they have one thing that most local and state authorities in Africa, outside South Africa, don’t have - real power and budgets. so they can act effectively if they choose to.
came in to post this
we been puttin in work on the terrorists over the past few weeks plus some have been surrendering. now all nigeria has to do is get this latest ebola threat under control and we'll be able to get back to businesscame in to post this
Nigeria is supposedly ebola free (or at least heavily contained) according to WHO