Since the early 1990s, most African countries have witnessed varied democratic transitions. Almost all democratic transitions have had to navigate the complexities and challenges of managing diversity in its various forms: the distribution of power and characteristics of political structures; issues of ethnicity and religion; definition of citizenship; or rights and concerns of marginalized groups.
Ever since the high tech generic drug production facility, Cinpharm-Cameroon, was set up, it is relatively easier for Cameroonians to have access to medicines. Now a low wage earner can access a course of antibiotics at a lower price than a Kenyan counterpart. According to the World Health Organization a 7-day course of treatment with ciprofloxacin could cost in Kenya close to a month’s wages.
One of the pillars of the projected good economic performance of Africa over the next decades will be its labor force. As one pays a closer look at the socio-economic transformation requirements, Africans can no longer ignore the need to pay attention to human capital. We would like to argue the erosion created by child under-nutrition will have to be avoided. It is already a cause for concern. Industrialization or any higher productive economic activity needs individuals with utmost capabilities and in good health.
Cameroon has the resources for its industrialization and agricultural transformation. The economy’s current annual growth of 4.9% does not reflect the full potential that lies in the transformation of the riches of the country. The economy is relatively diversified with the exploitation of vast agricultural resources, forestry, mining and energy. Exports have been dominated by oil, cocoa, wood, rubber and cotton.
Tonight like every night, Africa’s creative talent will be showcased across the continent. In Cape Town, South African opera stars Andiswa Kedama and Pauline Malefane’s voices will captivate audiences while they perform U-Carmen eKhayelitsha, a Xhosa adaptation of Bizet's famous opera. In Agadez, internationally acclaimed guitarist and songwriter Bombino, dubbed the next Jimi Hendrix, will mesmerize an audience with his music and lyrics for change.
I was born in Canchungo, in the northwestern part of Guinea-Bissau. Images of a beautiful canvas of green landscape crisscrossed by abundant waterways, thick forest, vast expanses of mangroves, pristine islands and coastlines, teeming with rich marine life, remain etched in my memory.
When in March this year Guinean authorities reported the first positive tests for Ebola in the West African region, the news came as a surprise for scientists and were treated passively by most. After all Ebola had killed over a period of thirty years more than two thousand people, since it was first discovered in Yambuku, in the DRC. Never did it surface outside the Great Lakes and it has never been perceived as a threat for an entire country.
No nation is immune to the impact of climate change but it is the world's poorest that will be hit the hardest. A fair and inclusive global agreement to combat climate change is a moral imperative. Time is of the essence for Africa.
World leaders are gathering today in New York for the Climate Summit in an attempt to breathe new life into climate talks, which are now approaching their 21st round. With the Kyoto Protocol deadline fast approaching, it remains to be seen how much international support Africa can leverage to advance its agenda.
Smallholder producers, who are most directly dependent on ecosystem services, are critical agents for the future of agriculture in Africa. They contribute to poverty reduction and food security, especially in the rural areas. Disappointingly, they are often excluded from debates on agricultural investments. This exclusion has become more pronounced in the debate on Large Scale Land Based Investments.