ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA – At least 15 billion dollars a year up to 2030 is the amount the continent needs to increase its capacity to adapt to and mitigate climate change, outgoing African Union Commissioner Josefa Correia Sacko said. The Ambassador, who made a name for herself during two terms in the Department of…
Addis Ababa – 16 February 2025 – Angolan Josefa Correia Sacko, outgoing African Union Commissioner for the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, was honoured in Addis Ababa, with a medal of honour of merit, by the President of the Republic, Mohamed Oud Ghazouani. Th honour came on the sidelines…
Waste pickers from Epworth, Harare Showground, Tafara, Highfields, and Mabvuku have been trained in waste sorting, reducing, recycling, reuse, and management. Addressing graduates during the awarding of certificates and handover of protective clothing at the Mabvuku-Tafara Multi-clean Energy Centre today, Engineer Herbert Parichi, the Director of Infrastructure Planning and Environmental Management in the Office…
A ‘very rich’ legacy built up during the last eight years at the head of the continental body’s Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (DARBE) portfolio is her gift to the new African Union Commissioner, the outgoing Commissioner of the African Union, Josefa Correia Sacko has said. The diplomat said this during…
The Government of Eswatini has hailed the election of former Cabinet Minister, Mr. Moses Vilakati, as the Commissioner for the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment (DARBE) in the African Union Commission. This achievement follows a highly competitive election held at the 38th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where…
As the 38th African Union (AU) Summit roared to life today, the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD), the One Campaign, and Christian Aid, through an online webinar, urged African Heads of State and Government and the African Union Commissioners who will take office to consider taking urgent initiatives to reform global…
Commissioner of the African Union’s Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, Josefa Correia Sacko said in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) that although agriculture is an important sector, most farmers on the continent practice rainfed agriculture, which is highly vulnerable to climate change. The Diplomat, who made these remarks at the International…
Over the past 30 years, extreme events such as wildfires, droughts, floods, and heat waves have multiplied due to the warming climate. According to climate models and research conducted by the IPCC, NASA, and other scientific institutions, their frequency, intensity, and duration are expected to grow in the future. Apart from the dramatic toll…
Ahead of the African Union (AU) Summit this week, a new report by ActionAid reveals that over three-quarters of all lower-income countries spend more on foreign debt than on their own healthcare systems and more than half spend more on debt servicing than education. Rich polluting countries owe low and lower-middle-income countries US$107 trillion in…
Promoting sustainable building practices contributes to the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), it has emerged. The UN-Habitat in collaboration with the Green Building Council of Zimbabwe (GBCZ) hosted the awareness and advocacy workshop aimed at promoting sustainable building practices that contribute to the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of Zimbabwe highlighting success stories from other countries…
The continent is still not exploiting the full potential of its animal resources, largely because it is failing to fully utilise the opportunities available and address key challenges such as animal feed and health, African Union Commissioner Josefa Correia Sacko said in Addis Ababa. The diplomat, who was speaking at the launch of the…
About 67.4 million people in the Horn of Africa are food insecure, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an East African bloc, said in a joint report. This is a rise from 64.8 million at the end of November 2024, the institutions said,…
Zimbabwe Children and Youth Position Paper on the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) 3.0 (2025 – 2035) Prepared by Cinderella Ndlovu and Eric Morgen Moyo Rapporteurs: Linet Ndou, Natalie Gwatirisa, Shamiso Mucha Introduction The Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are the core of the Paris Agreement and serve a critical role in determining…
Leading pan-African telecom group, AXIAN Telecom is proud to announce that it has officially become a signatory of the GSMA Humanitarian Connectivity Charter (HCC). Launched in 2015 by the GSMA, the HCC aims to enhance the preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities of Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) during sudden onset emergencies, such as natural disasters. AXIAN Telecom…
Stakeholders from diverse backgrounds are holding a critical consultation meeting in Harare on strengthening Zimbabwe’s climate commitments under nationally determined contributions (NDCs). In his opening remarks read on his behalf by Mr. Lovemore Dhoba, Acting Director of the Climate Change Management Department, the Chief Director of Climate Change and Meteorological Services in the Ministry…
By Reshmi Theckethil (Lead Portfolio, Climate Action, Disaster Risk Reduction, Energy, and Resilience | Sahel Resilience Project Manager, UNDP Sub-Regional Hub for West and Central Africa (www.UNDP.org). Imagine a Sahel region where every household, school, and hospital has access to clean, affordable energy—where renewable power not only serves homes but also drives economic transformation….
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) in association with implementing partners, is spearheading waste management and clean energy projects in the Harare Metropolitan Province. Speaking at a steering committee meeting of the project chaired by Engineer Herbert Parichi, the Director of Infrastructure Planning and Environmental Management in the Office of the Minister of State…
The Ministry of Environment, Climate, and Wildlife in partnership with SNV and with support from the NDC Partnership through UNOPS implemented a one-year project to enhance the capacities of women, children, and people with disabilities to participate in climate action. It has emerged that the project was successful in amplifying the role of youth,…
Rwanda is set to launch a major irrigation development project in Gisagara District following the signing of a concessional financing agreement with China on Wednesday, January 22. The initiative, dubbed the Giseke Dam and Irrigation Project, is expected to benefit over 915 households by providing irrigation infrastructure to support crop cultivation. Gisagara District, known…
A new era in livestock marketing has dawned through the African Pastoral Markets Development Platform (APMD), which represents a groundbreaking initiative hosted by the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR). Speaking during the APMD launch, Mohamed Omar, a renowned pastoralist leader, said the platform implementation will reflect the shared commitment to the transformations…
Freetown, Sierra Leone – On 20 January 2025, the Government of Sierra Leone together with its development partners including Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) commissioned the Kassirie Mini-Grid project to supply reliable electricity to previously underserved communities. This solar-powered mini-grid project in Kassirie is the third such project by the Universal Energy Facility, multi-donor…
Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa has said the Extraordinary Session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government on the Post Malabo Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) agenda in Kampala, Uganda signifies a commitment to transforming the African agricultural sector. In a statement read on his behalf by Dr. Anxious Masuka,…
The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) said despite some progress in addressing food insecurity, Africa still faces several challenges and obstacles to the successful implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) including climate change and inadequate funding of the agricultural sector. This came to the fore during an interactive…
KAMPALA, UGANDA – Dr. Bright Rwamirama, Uganda’s Minister of State for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries has underscored the importance of animal protein in food and nutrition security. He was speaking during a Livestock Side event at the Margins of the African Union Heads of States Extraordinary Summit on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development…
KAMPALA, UGANDA – The Africa Union-led development of a new 10-year Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan: 2026-2035 whose vision is to build resilient and sustainable agrifood systems for a healthy and prosperous Africa, is in line with the aspirations of Agenda 2063. There were the remarks today by H.E….
Writes Dr. Antony Chapoto I am representing ANAPRI at the AU Extraordinary Summit on the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action, taking place in Kampala, Uganda, from January 9 to 11, 2024. Our network is dedicated to supporting the AU and member states by providing essential data and evidence to guide…
The London-based New African magazine (www.NewAfricanMagazine.com) on Friday released its highly anticipated annual listing of the 100 Most Influential Africans of 2024. The list celebrates the achievements and contributions of Africans from various fields and sectors who have made a positive impact on the continent and the world over the past year. One of New African’s readers likened…
The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) has approved funding worth EUR 28 million to build solar power plants in Gassi and Lamadji, Chad. This is part of the Bank’s Desert to Power program to increase energy access across Africa. The funding includes EUR 20 million in direct support, combining…
The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund (https://apo-opa.co/4iITWIP) – the African Development Bank Group’s (www.AfDB.org) concessional financing window – approved a donation of $9.42 million to Madagascar to implement climate resilience through the Preservation of Biodiversity in National Parks Project. The grant, agreed upon on 18 December 2024 in Abidjan, comes from the…
As French oil giant TotalEnergies marks its 100th anniversary, African climate activists have issued a scathing critique of the company’s legacy through a satirical campaign titled TotalEnergies: 100 Years of Pollution. The satirical video TotalEnergies: 100 Years of Pollution exposes the gap between TotalEnergies’ claims of corporate social responsibility and the devastating reality of…
Stakeholders are geared for the African Union (AU) Extraordinary Summit to mark the adoption of a new 10-year Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan: 2026-2035, as well as the Kampala CAADP Declaration to be held in Uganda from 9 to 11 January 2025. In her remarks for the African Union…
Writes Lloyd Rabaya The sun is just rising above the horizon at Elizabeth Mpofu’s homestead in Shashe as farmers are running up and down preparing to board the morning coach to Masvingo town. Smiles on their faces as they appear eager to implement what they had learned the past two days during an exchange visit…
Writes Felicidade Banze MAPUTO (Mozambique) – Mozambique’s National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD) has begun the distribution of more than eighty tons of food products to people affected by hunger in the country’s central province of Sofala where more than 13 000 people are facing acute hunger. INGD’s delegate in Sofala, Aristides…
National Environment Awareness Trust (NEAT) in partnership with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, donated food and new clothes to two orphanage homes as an early Christmas gift to the underprivileged members of the community. The event, held on Saturday, was a celebration of community spirit and generosity led by the Church…
The United Nations (UN) has partnered with Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe to witness substantial investment and the inaugural launch of the Goromonzi Community Development Project and the Public Welfare Experience at Vhuta Primary School in Goromonzi. In his closing remarks, Sirak Gebrehiwot, the UN Partnerships, and Development Finance Advisor delivered on behalf of His Excellency…
Writes Felicidade Banze MAPUTO (Mozambique) – Mozambique’s National Institute of Meteorology (INAM) has warned of the possibility of Tropical Cyclone Chido affecting the north and center of the country, starting on Saturday. Cyclone Chido is moving west and passing the top of Madagascar and is expected to make landfall between Pemba and Nacala on Sunday…
Writes Edgar Gweshe The Member of Parliament for Epworth North, Zivai Mhetu, has expressed concern over the rampant destruction of wetlands for housing purposes in his constituency. In an interview, Mhetu said land barons were largely behind the invasion of wetlands in the area. If left unchecked, this unfortunate trend will adversely affect the water…
Writes Edgar Gweshe As part of efforts to protect the Cleveland Dam Ramsar Site, stakeholders gathered in Mabvuku, Harare on Tuesday to mull the formation of a site management committee tasked with the management of the internationally recognised wetland. Cleveland Dam is an internationally designated wetland and key biodiversity area under the Ramsar Convention on…
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 09/12/24 – Around 13 billion dollars of gross domestic product in North Africa and the Middle East is lost to sand and dust storms, African Union Commissioner Josefa Correia Sacko said in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). The diplomat made these remarks while speaking at the United Nations Convention Forum (COP16) on combating…
Libreville, Gabon 4/12/24 – The policy framework of the African Union’s sanitary and phytosanitary systems seeks to strengthen the efficiency of intra-African trade within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), senior AU programme coordinator Chiluba Mwape said in Libreville, Gabon. Chiluba Mwape, who was speaking at the fifth coordination session…
Charlene Ruto, the Founder of SMACHs Foundation, which advocates for smart agriculture and climate action, has encouraged the inclusion of youth-led organizations of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes to ensure they are not left behind. Speaking during her maiden visit to the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa at the Shape Africa Summit, as…
The Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe and the European Union have taken steps to reinforce their political and economic partnership during their formal Partnership Dialogue held yesterday in Harare under the auspices of the Samoa Agreement. This meeting focused on key areas of cooperation, including trade, investment, peace and security, climate action, and development,…
Writes Sirak Gebrehiwot 28 November 2024, Victoria Falls – At the Partner and Donor Roundtable Discussion on the 5th session of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Committee of Ministers for Disaster Risk, Mr. Edward Kallon, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Zimbabwe, delivered a compelling message on the urgent needs arising from the El…
Writes Chimeno Azriel In an endeavor to strengthen climate change education in Zimbabwe, UNESCO is supporting the Ministry of Primary and Secondary(MoPSE) to develop learner guides for primary schools’ curricula to strengthen climate change, disaster risk reduction, and education for sustainable development. This came to the fore during a workshop that kicked off on…
Writes Dr Mathew M. Abang Grown in more than 135 countries in the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia, Oceania and Africa, bananas and plantains are staple crops for the food security of some 400 million people. With around 15 percent of global production exported, the total trade value of bananas was about USD 7.5 billion…
