NEPAD Today 24 July 2013

24 July 2013

Editor
Yinka Adeyemi
Assistant Editor
Meseret Arega
Editorial Board: Yinka Adeyemi (ECA), ADOU Jean Yves (AUC), Meseret Arega (ECA)

NEPAD Agency funds fishery projects in Kenya and Tanzania 

NEPAD Agency with funding from the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), has committed US$100,000 each to a rock lobster fishery in Kenya and to Tanzania’s octopus fishery, for the implementation of Fisheries Improvement Projects (FIPs) that will align the fisheries reforms in the two countries with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Environmental Standard for Sustainable Fishing.  NPCA will also provide funding to train Ministry staff in order to improve the technical capacity to conceptualise and implement necessary reforms.
Announcing the funding, CEO of NEPAD, Dr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki said, “In order to support the fisheries reforms in Africa, the NEPAD Agency has spearheaded the process of developing a Pan-African Fisheries Policy Framework and Reform Strategy. The strategy was endorsed by technical experts from governments and partners during a Think Tank Event which was held in Douala, Cameroon in November 2012, and we are hoping that the policy and strategy will be approved by the second Conference of African Ministers of Fisheries and Aquaculture (CAMFA), which will be held in 2014”.
Source: http://www.msc.org/newsroom/news/nepad-funding-for-fisheries-in-east-africa

NEPAD joins hundreds of volunteers to do good on Mandela Day

NEPAD Agency joined forces with Cheese kids for Humanity in Attridgeville west of  Pretoria in various activities to mark Nelson Mandela International Day.
Staff from the Midrand based pan-African institution which is the technical body of the AU, swapped their daily office gear for overalls, brooms and mops to clean and paint the Falvius Mareka School in Attridgeville.
Joined by dozens other volunteers from across Gauteng the teams, which were well organised and supervised by leaders from Cheese Kids, took turns in sweeping, scrapping and painting classrooms as well as the surroundings of the school.
NEPAD Head of Communications Maureen Nkandu, presented a special book on Mandela’s Favourite Stories from Africa, to Mrs B.S Phukubye, senior teacher at the Flavious Mareka School
“We are totally overwhelmed by this gesture by Cheese Kids, NEPAD and all others who have volunteered today to give our school a facelift, all in the spirit of Madiba’s great contribution to our country. We also wish him a peaceful and full recovery” said Mrs Phukubye.
Source: http://nepad.org/nepad/news/3125/nepad-joins-hundreds-volunteers-do-good-mandela-day

Djibouti exploring geothermal electricity

A new project supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB) plans to exploit the geothermal potential in the Lake Assal region to enable Djiboutian population’s access to a reliable, renewable and affordable source of energy. Currently Djibouti relies mostly on fossil fuels and some hydropower imports from Ethiopia. The majority of the country’s current generation capacity is situated in Djibouti City. The existing power stations are old, polluting and expensive to operate.  In addition, fuel imports are expensive and require important foreign-currency expenditure.
As a consequence, only half the population of the country has access to electricity due to high tariffs. Djibouti is however blessed with substantial geothermal potential, capable of meeting the country’s energy needs and possibly exports to neighbouring countries, while reducing CO2 emissions from thermal electricity generation.
The geothermal exploration project in the Lake Assal region is structured as a public private partnership, where the government of Djibouti is taking the lead on the first exploration and appraisal drilling phase. The private sector will be responsible for the production drilling, steam gathering system and electricity production and evacuation to the national grid.

Source: http://www.esi-africa.com/node/16622

Leaders agree on "Africa 50 Fund" for infrastructure financing

The heads of African Union (AU), the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have resolved to explore all options available to provide funds to develop infrastructure on the African continent. This commitment was disclosed in a communiqué issued by the leaders after a coordination session in Tunisia over the weekend.
The communiqué said it broadly adopted and supported a ‘Africa 50 Fund’ launched by the AfDB as the main instrument to be used to raise capital for infrastructure financing on the continent. Heads and senior officials of other sub-regional economic and political groupings such as the East African Community, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, Economic Community of Central African States, Economic Community of West African States, Intergovernmental Authority on Development, Arab Maghreb Union, Southern African Development Community, NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency were all part of the session and they all pledged their support for the strategy.
A rising Africa will require adequate infrastructure as a key catalyst for the continent’s transformation agenda, industrial development and intra-Africa trade, the statement explained.
Accordingly, the leaders carefully reviewed the global economic situation and implication for the African economy, in particular the latest reports indicating slowdown in the emerging markets. The communiqué revealed that the session emphasised the need for Africa to rebuild economic buffers, strengthen economic integration and promote policies of inclusion for sustainability.

Source: http://www.ventures-africa.com/2013/07/au-others-in-africa-infrastructure-development-pledge/

Upcoming events (some dates or venue may change)

1.     The 3rd Steering Committee meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation,  25 to 26 July, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
2.    Seminar on Advancing Regional Integration through NEPAD Implementation: Learning Event on Comparative Analysis of African-European Integration Studies September 2013 South Africa.
3.    Africa-NEPAD Week at 69th UN General Assembly (mid-October 2013)
4.    21st Africa Partnership Forum – Dakar (tbc) November 2013
5.    High Level Summit and Business Conference on Africa’s Domestic Resource Mobilzation (DRM) November 2013)
6.    5th GEO Health & Environment Community of Practice (CoP), 23-25 July 2013, Washington D.C., USA
7.   48th NEPAD Steering Committee meeting – Dakar, End of August/Sept 2013

A production of the RCM-Africa Secretariat, AU and NEPAD Support Team, Capacity Development Division (CDD),
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Director: Adeyemi Dipeolu
Email: ecanepad@uneca.org