AU ‘hails G20 full membership’
In a landmark development, the African Union (AU) was made a full member of the Group of 20 (G20) under India’s presidency. It is a win for India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to portray his country as a voice for the Global South. The move to include the AU in the G20 was proposed by Modi in June and supported by China. READ MORE>
Infrastructure reform is key to accelerating Africa’s energy transition
By Francesco La Camera, IRENA Director-General & Nardos Bekele-Thomas, AUDA-NEPAD CEO
With 80% of the world’s population without access to electricity resides in Sub-Saharan Africa — it is clear that the current fossil fuel based energy system fails to meet Africa’s power needs. Something needs to be done quickly. Renewables offer a compelling solution. Not only are they the most rapidly deployable and versatile technology available. They are also the most affordable. READ MORE>
IRENA and AUDA-NEPAD Join Forces to Advance Regional Interconnections in Africa
The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) signed an agreement today aimed at supporting African countries in their efforts to achieve the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the UN-Sustainable Development Goal 7 to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. The agreement was signed today by AUDA-NEPAD CEO Nardos Bekele-Thomas and IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera on the margins of Africa Climate Week in Nairobi.
Read the full article here
PIDA’s Decade of Transformation: AUDA NEPAD Paving the Way for Africa’s Prosperous Future
15 September 2023 marked a historic milestone as the African Union Commission, in partnership with the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD), and its dedicated Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) partners, unveiled the First 10-Year PIDA Implementation Report. This ground breaking report not only celebrates PIDA’s outstanding achievements over the past decade but also lays the foundation for an even brighter future of infrastructure development throughout Africa. READ MORE>
AUDA-NEPAD secures $82bn investment commitments to finance infrastructure
African Union Development Agency AUDA-NEPAD says Investment commitments have exceeded the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa Priority Action Plans from the initial target by $14 billion to hit $82 billion as at 2022. Idriss Adoum, Director for Infrastructure, Trade Industrialisation and regional integration at AUDA-NEPAD joins CNBC Africa to unpack the first ten-year implementation report and infrastructure financing strategies.
Watch the interview here
Advancing Rural Transformation: Outcomes of the SADC Rural Innovation and Transformation Expo
The SADC Rural Innovation and Transformation Expo (RITE), held on 27-28 September 2023 in Kinshasa, DRC, marked a significant milestone in the collective pursuit of rural development across Southern Africa. This gathering of 360 delegates exemplified a commitment to innovation, sustainable practices, and youth empowerment. The Expo, aligned with the visions of SADC, the African Union, and the United Nations, provided a platform for key stakeholders to share insights, showcase success stories, and set forth initiatives to drive positive change. READ MORE>
Meeting Africa’s Growing Energy Needs in a Sustainable, Affordable and Efficient Way
According to the African Union Development Agency, the energy needs of the African continent are expected to more than triple by 2040. To help countries to address this growing demand for energy and meet socioeconomic needs in a clean, sustainable, and affordable way, the IAEA and International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) have been supporting, as official modelling partners, the development of the Continental Power System Masterplan (CMP) in Africa since 2021. In the margins of the IAEA’s 67th General Conference, experts from different international organizations, including from the European Union who have been backing the initiative, shared the vision behind the CMP and discussed its key deliverables, which were adopted by the African Ministers of Infrastructure and Energy earlier in September and are due to be presented to the African Union assembly next year for final endorsement by African heads of state. READ MORE>
GUEST BLOG: For Africa, climate change is a matter of Ubuntu and justice
By Wanjira Mathai
In the inaugural Africa Climate Summit, we’ll come together to chart a common narrative and pathway of our position on the global crisis, which must be grounded in justice for our people. We must seize our chance to transform people’s lives and livelihoods throughout the continent.
It is up to us not only to be part of the climate debate, but to lead it. Make no mistake, Africa has historically produced so few greenhouse gases in comparison to Europe and the US, yet we are disproportionately bearing its consequences. READ MORE>
Unprecedented studies on electricity generation and transmission pave the way for a continental approach to Africa’s energy future
The Continental Master Plan (CMP) has completed its final analyses, urging a concerted effort to plan and coordinate energy infrastructure on a continental scale. The reports were presented for validation at the Fourth Ordinary Session of the African Union Specialised Technical Committee on Transport, Transcontinental and Interregional Infrastructure, and Energy (STC-TTIIE) held in Zanzibar, Tanzania, from 12th to 15th of September 2023. READ MORE>
Agribusiness is my learning journey – The 1st Master Trainer Network Conference to further promote successful agribusiness training
The Business Support Facility for Resilient Agricultural Value Chains (ABF4VC) project commenced its first Master Trainer Network Conference titled “Agribusiness is my Learning Journey” today, in a conference hosted by the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD.
Launched in March 2023, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, in partnership with AUDA-NEPAD, implements the ABF4VC project. The project is financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and co-funded by the EU Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA) and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) with an overall budget of 56 million euros. READ MORE>
Second Call for Proposals as part of the EU SIFA Innovation Funding Window III
The Skills Initiative for Africa Financial Cooperation is an African Union Commission intervention implemented by the African Union Development Agency and supported by the German Government and the European Union through KfW Development Bank. The Initiative providing grants for selected projects through a competitive evaluation process in eight African countries.
The EU SIFA Innovation Funding Window III is designed to support innovative skills development solutions in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), which showcase improved or new ways of making skills more accessible, relevant, and recognised for employability. READ MORE>
Call for Concept Notes: Cocoa, Maize, Livestock
Are you working in the cocoa, maize, or livestock (cattle, sheep, goats) sectors in a member state of the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific states? Are you from the private sector, with a high interest in resilience, competitiveness, or direct supply linkages with off-takers for sustainability?
Do you have an innovative idea that makes the above-mentioned value chains less fragmented, more inclusive, particularly for women and youth, sustainable, and profitable? This also includes innovations for by-products of the sectors.
Then this is a unique opportunity for you to realize your goal!
Find out more>