Category: Africa

Amazon’s going to Nollywood — and its deals with studios could shake up one of the world’s most prolific filmmaking hubs

By Thomas Page | CNN

In its hunt for content, Amazon Prime Video has turned to Nigeria, where it has secured key deals with studios that could shake up business in Africa’s most prolific filmmaking hub.

In recent months, the US giant has signed exclusive streaming agreements with Inkblot Productions and Anthill Studios — which say the deals will fundamentally change the way they operate.

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U.S. Launches Kefeta, a $60 Million Investment to Lift Up Ethiopia’s Youth

The United States through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched a new investment of $60 million (3.1 billion Birr) to lift up millions of vulnerable youth across Ethiopia. Over the next five years, the new USAID Kefeta activity—which means ‘to elevate’ in Amharic—will help youth in 18 cities find meaningful jobs and expand their voice in Ethiopia’s civil discourse. This activity will also ensure that youth have better access to essential services—such as banking, family planning, and healthcare.

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Nigerian Senate rejects diaspora vote

LAGOS (Reuters) – Nigeria’s Senate on Tuesday voted to reject changes to the constitution to allow citizens living abroad to vote in national elections, while a provision to allocate special seats for women to increase their political representation failed to pass.

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U.S. Business Delegation Concludes Visit to Namibia

By US Embassy Namibia

A U.S. business delegation wrapped up today a visit to Namibia during which they met with Namibian Vice President His Excellency Nangolo Mbumba, other government leaders, and Namibian businesses.  The two-days of senior-level meetings introduced the U.S. firms to decision makers, potential partners, and future opportunities in the construction, energy, and health industries.

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Africa is the Place to Invest, visiting US Congressional Delegation acknowledges to African Development Bank Chief

By African Development Bank

United States Congressman Gregory Meeks has warned that the United States will only be part of the future if it invests in Africa now. The congressman from New York and Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee was speaking during a visit to the African Development Bank Group on Saturday, as he and a team of congressional colleagues concluded a tour of three West African countries. African Development Bank Group President Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina and several senior Bank officials welcomed the group to the Bank’s headquarters in Abidjan.

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Coronavirus epidemic: Kenya Vows to Block Medical Professionals from Moving to the US for Work

By John Wanjohi |Mwakilishi.com

The Kenyan government has vowed to block Kenyan medical practitioners from moving to the United States amid the Corona virus epidemic. This comes a day after the US government, through the Department of State, Consular Affairs urged foreign medical professionals willing to work in the US to seek visa appointments with their embassies.

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Here are the three new books you need to understand Nigeria

By Alex Thurston

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, radiating political, cultural and economic influence across the continent and around the world. Yet Nigeria’s incredible complexity — composed of hundreds of ethnic groups and languages — can be daunting even to those interested in understanding the country. The nonspecialist can also be easily misled by the popular image of Nigeria as a land of Internet scammers and, more recently, fanatical jihadists. Three recent books, however, make Nigeria more accessible to the beginner and more comprehensible to the specialist. These books take up core issues facing the country, especially the Boko Haram crisis and the future of Nigeria’s democracy.

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Ivory Coast Passes Legislation Encouraged by Ivanka Trump

Ivanka Trump is applauding the recent passage of legislation in Ivory Coast related to changes she pushed during her April trip to Africa.

The country is in the process of updating its family code to make it more equitable to women — a move President Donald Trump’s eldest daughter and senior adviser praised as “a great step forward.”

“We are pleased to recognize and applaud the Ivorian government’s recent passage of the marriage law, which supports women’s equal management of household assets,” she said in a statement to The Associated Press.

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America pumps aid into Mozambique following massive cyclone

By: Kyle Rempfer

U.S. Africa Command has been allotted millions of dollars to help move aid supplies into Mozambique, which was hit by the strongest-ever cyclone in the Southern Hemisphere March 14-15.

The Pentagon has authorized AFRICOM to conduct operations in Mozambique up to April 15 at a cost of $15 million, said Brig. Gen. Robert Huston, the command’s deputy director of operations.

The U.S. Agency for International Development, which is the lead organ for the operation, also has provided $6.2 million so far.

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