Month: March 2023

The African Union Commission (AUC) and Nutrition International join forces to launch advocacy campaign focused on reducing malnutrition particularly in adolescent girls, the press release issued by the AUC said.

Department of the African Union Commission and Nutrition International launched “With Good Nutrition, She’ll Grow Into It”, an advocacy campaign dedicated to improving the health, wellbeing and empowerment of girls in Africa through efforts to prevent iron-deficiency anaemia. The campaign was kicked off during the High-Level Dialogue on Nutrition Financing in Maseru, Lesotho.

The press release pointed out that the two-year campaign aims to promote public awareness on the negative impacts of inadequate nutrition – especially iron-deficiency anaemia – on the health and education outcomes of adolescent girls, and galvanize the support of policymakers to prioritize investment in adolescent nutrition to scale up proven, low-cost, high-impact interventions for the prevention of iron-deficiency anaemia and improved nutrition education.

Speaking at the launch event, Minata Samate Cessouma, the AU Commission’s Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, called for action advocacy for the prioritization of adolescent nutrition in AU member states.

The commissioner urged member states to (among other things): prioritize adolescent nutrition in their programs and budgets, advocate for adolescent nutrition through the engagement of young people to reduce the prevalence of anaemia among girls, promote national policies and development plans that address iron-deficiency anaemia through multisectoral approaches, and mobilize resources for scale-up of proven low-cost, high-impact interventions for preventing iron-deficiency anaemia and improved nutrition education in adolescent girls.

“Anaemia impairs cognitive functioning, compromises school performance, reduces productivity and affects current and future reproductive health,” said Samate. “This is why it’s imperative for all AU member states to make reducing it a priority, so that adolescent girls can reach their full potential, and be active contributors to strong, prosperous African economies.”

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Ethiopia has become wheat exporter, shifting from being wheat recipient through its relentless efforts of wheat production., Minister of Agriculture, Girma Amente said.

A chapter of history —where Ethiopia used to import 17 million quintals of wheat every year, earmarking more than 700 million USD to meet its citizens’ basic bread consumption, has been closed.

Following the reform process, wheat cultivation, Green Legacy Initiative and recently, ye Lemat Tirufat programs are among the initiatives that have registered successful results, according to the minister.

During an exclusive interview with ENA, minister Girma Amente said wheat cultivation has become a great success that has moved Ethiopia to a new height.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s determination and success in wheat development has transformed Ethiopia from being a wheat recipient to a foreign market supplier, the minister added.

Recall that Ethiopia, which is the birthplace of wheat diversity, was not able to achieve wheat self-sufficiency and imported wheat for centuries, adding that this chapter is now closed.

The minister described the determination Prime Minister Abiy demonstrated in wheat development as a turning point in the history of Ethiopia.

During the 11th Ordinary session of the House of Peoples’ Representatives, the premier responded to questions raised to him by members of the parliament on six month performance report on Tuesday, saying that wheat was produced more than planned during the dry and summer season.

The prime minister added that wheat production exceeded domestic consumption and it was for the first time that Ethiopia exported its products to the foreign market.

“We have produced more wheat than we thought. There is no wheat problem in Ethiopia. There is enough production. We have cultivated more than 1 million hectares this summer,” he noted.

The agriculture minister further stated that the success recorded in wheat cultivation in the past years of reforms demonstrated the collaboration, determination and commitment of the leadership as well as research institutes and producers.

He pointed out that when Ethiopia has won international recognition in wheat during the last years of reform, the role of farmers was crucial.

It was possible to export wheat production beyond domestic consumption to the foreign market because of the farmers who had never seen wheat beyond consumption and aid recipient, were able to work hard.

Since then we have witnessed that the farmers have the desire and motivation to produce more and use the new technologies provided by the government, Girma said.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Local media personnel drawn from various media institutions have visited the Dire Dawa Free Trade Zone, Ethiopia’s first free trade zone.

The aim of the visit organized by Ministry of Government Communication Service is to show to the personnel the activities at the country’s first trade zone since its inauguration in August, 2021.

The Dire Dawa Free Trade Zone, which includes an industrial park and a dry port, would improve trade activities, create job opportunities, enhance transfer of knowledge, and reduce logistics cost.

The free trade zone is expected to contribute toward facilitating the implementation of trading under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The government is working to attract more investors to the strategic free trade zone with the objective of facilitating logistics and import-export trade and boost the economy of the country.

The fact that Dire Dawa City is an industrial village, possessing dry port, railway, land and air transport makes it an ideal center for a free trade zone.

The Dire Dawa Free Trade Zone, Ethiopia’s first free trade zone, covers an area of 4,000 hectares and includes the Dire Dawa Industrial Park and a dry port.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Angolan President João Lourenço inaugurated Wednesday the 5th edition of “Expo-Indústria/2023”, an event to take place from March 29 March to April 1 at Luanda/Bengo Special Economic Zone (ZEE).

The event is expected to be attended by over 230 companies, a figure that is higher than the previous edition held in 2019, when it had a three-year interruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 5th edition of Expo-Industry/2023 will bring together, among various sectors, the manufacturing industry, engineering and construction, as well as food industry and agribusiness.

The aim of the event is for industries to increase employment and improve living conditions of the population and leverage new partnerships and businesses.

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Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Environment announced Tuesday, in Malanje Province, the construction of the Memorial of the Sovereigns of the Kingdom of Ndongo and the requalification of the village of Muculu-a-Ngola, in the Municipality of Marimba.

The project foresees the construction of the tombs where the remains of King Ngola Kiluanji and Queen Njinga a Mbande lie, in addition to 40 residences for members of the court, the King’s palace, a primary school, a health unit and the requalification of other monuments and kingdom sites.

When presenting the project to the local community, the national director of Communities and Institutions of Traditional Power of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Albano Cufuna, said that the budget has already been approved and the start of works depends on the rehabilitation of the road that gives access to the locality, since it is in an advanced state of degradation.

Despite this, he guarantees that feasibility studies are already underway for the execution of the project, which aims to dignify the kingdom and guarantee better living conditions for local communities.

On his turn, the deputy governor of Malanje for the Political, Social and Economic sector, Domingos Eduardo, informed that, with the construction of the memorial and the requalification of the locality of Muculu-a-Ngola, the area will be transformed into an important of tourist attraction.

The official highlighted the historical and cultural role played by the sovereigns of the ancient kingdom of Ndongo, which is why the Angolan government has the duty to restructure the place and facilitate its access to the youth and beyond, in order to be in contact with history.

The Deputy National Director of the Institute for Tourism Development (INFOTUR), Agostinho Xavier, praised the initiative, as the province could register an increase in the frequency of tourists and consequently raise more revenue for the State.

Meanwhile, the sovereign of the Kingdom of Ndongo, King Buba Nvula Dala Mana “Cabombo”, expressed gratitude with the project, considering that it will give greater dignity to the kingdom.

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Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

The real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate for the Angolan manufacturing industry registered, in the period from 2018 to 2022, a cumulative 7.7%, with greater emphasis on the last year.

The information was provided this Wednesday by the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, during the opening ceremony of the Industrial Fair’s 5th Edition, which takes place under the motto “It is possible for us to walk together”.

According to the Angolan Head of State, the figure represents a growth of around 6%, surpassing the projection foreseen in the 2022 General State Budget (OGE).

At the exhibition taking place in the Special Economic Zone (ZEE), in the Luanda Municipality of Viana, in Luanda, President João Lourenço stated that over 200 new projects were approved and implemented in the same period.

These are high-impact ventures in the field of manufacturing industry, distributed across the country’s 18 provinces, in several subsectors of activities.

According to the holder of the Executive Power, the action resulted in over ten thousand jobs, with greater emphasis on the food sector, having highlighted that it is a commitment by the Executive to increase industrial production, to ensure self-sufficiency in essential goods of consumption.

The President of the Republic considered it fundamental to continue to stimulate and boost the increase in national production in order to reduce prices, imports and increase exports.

With that, he said, the country will be able to face the competitiveness arising from Angola’s adherence to the protocols of the SADC Free Trade Area, the African Continental and the Tripartite Free Trade Area.

In his speech, João Lourenço called for an organized, systematic and persistent effort to attract national and foreign private investment, in order to place the country on the path of industrialization established by SADC.

For the Angolan statesman, this task is not an easy one, as competition between countries to attract foreign direct investment is quite strong.

It is notorious the effort that the country has been making in recent years in increasing and improving the infrastructure to support industry and the economy as a whole.

Improved electricity supply

In front of exhibitors and businesspeople, President João Lourenço noted that there has been, in recent years, a considerable increase in the supply of electricity from hydroelectric and photovoltaic production sources.

He said that the aforementioned increase consequently reduced the production of electricity from thermal sources (pollutants) and that increase the price of the product (energy) sold to domestic and business consumers.

Within the framework of improving the supply of electricity, President João Lourenço underlined the fact that the Executive is investing in the construction of transport lines.

On the occasion, the Head of State said that it was energy produced in the Lower Kwanza basin, namely in Kapanda, Laúca and Cambambe, as well as in the Soyo Combined Cycle, in Zaire Province.

“All of them are already interconnected, through the National Transport Network, to take this available capacity to the East, Southeast and South of the country”, informed the President of the Republic.

The holder of executive power added that one of the ideas of the project is to connect the national network to the provinces of Lunda Sul, Lunda Norte, Moxico, Cuando Cubango, Huíla, Cunene and Namibe.

Water sector

President João Lourenço announced that important investments are also scheduled in the water sectors, all over the country.

He stated that for Luanda, the country’s main industrial centre, the Bita and Quilonga projects are being implemented which should improve the water supply to the Angolan capital.

As for the current context of the national manufacturing industry, the Angolan statesman said that it offers many challenges, opportunities but also constraints.

Angola continues to mark very precise steps in its process of opening up to the outside world, looking for ways to diversify the economy by substituting imports, promoting exports, reducing the country’s dependence on the oil sector.

Around 230 companies are taking part in the Industrial fair/2023 5th edition, in the Special Economic Zone (ZEE) Luanda-Bengo, until the 1st of April.

The transformation industry, engineering and civil construction, as well as the food industry and agribusiness are some of the sectors present in the sample that has national and foreign exhibitors.

The “Expo-Industria” (Expo Industry) event is the biggest industrial showcase in Angola and aims to stimulate investment in national industry, within the scope of the strategy of diversifying the economy, substituting imports, increasing exports, reducing unemployment and poverty.

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Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)