BUSINESS
IVORY COAST: Akinwumi Adesina named Champion of the Great Green Wall Initiative
The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina, was named Resource Mobilization Champion of the Great Green Wall Initiative at a forum held on the sidelines of the 2021 One Planet Summit in Paris.
The Great Green Wall consists of planting a mosaic of trees, meadows, vegetation and plants 8,000 kilometres long and 15 kilometres wide across the Sahara and Sahel.AfDB Chair was named champion of this African initiative at a forum held on the sidelines of the “One Planet Summit 2021”. “I would also like to acknowledge the determination of Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, who has agreed to take on the role of champion of resource mobilization and to help lift, by 2030, all the funds needed to build the Great Green Wall,” said French President Emmanuel Macron.
Akinwumi Adesina’s mission will be to mobilize the necessary political and economic support.The Great Green Wall initiative is, according to Macron, a first step towards solutions rooted in nature as well as solutions based on the dynamism of eco-solutions in Africa». “In terms of security and viability, France is very involved in this region. We need to strengthen this initiative for the benefit of the 11 countries involved,” he said.
Akinwumi Adesina announced that the AfDB will mobilize up to US$6.5 billion over the next five years for the Great Green Wall initiative, joining multilateral development institutions, Governments and development partners have pledged more than $14 billion. The World Bank, for its part, has pledged more than US$5 billion in financing to help overcome the challenges posed by land and land rehabilitation and degradation and to try to solve the problems concerning Lake Chad.
“As we turn the corner on the coronavirus and its impact on our world, we need to readjust our growth model. We must prioritize growth that protects the environment and biodiversity, and stop prioritizing growth that compromises our common good,” said Akinwumi Adesina. AfDB President believes that the Great Green Wall is part of Africa’s environmental defence system. It is a real shield against the onslaught of desertification and land degradation processes. “The future of the African Sahel region depends on the Great Green Wall. Faced with climate change and desertification, without the Great Green Wall, the Sahel is in danger of disappearing,” he added.
Musicians Baaba Maal and Ricky Kej and environmental activist Hindu Oumarou Ibrahim are among the other champions of the Great Green Wall initiative.
The presidency of Togo has announced that the project to exploit the manganese mine of Nayega, located in the Savanes region in the north of the country, is entering its operational phase. According to a statement issued on June 10, 2025, production is scheduled to start at the end of June 2025, with an initial volume of 4,000 tons per month, which should gradually double to reach 8,000 tons per month.
Keras Resources is the technical partner retained by the Togolese government to carry out this project. A statement from Keras, relayed by the presidency, details that the company signed a cooperation agreement in 2023 with the Togolese state, owner of the mine through the Togolese Manganese Company (STM). Under the terms of this agreement, Keras will receive a remuneration of 1.5% of the mine’s gross revenue for three years for its advisory services, as well as 6% for brokering services.
The reserves of the Nayega mine are estimated at 8.5 million tonnes, which would allow exploitation over a period of 11 years. The authorities of Lomé welcome the expected contribution of the mine to the national budget, a benefit that should be strengthened by the rigorous management of the generated revenues, as indicated by our colleagues from Agence Afrique.
With a growing global demand for manganese, particularly in steel alloys and renewable energy technologies, Togo is seeking to assert itself as an essential supplier of this strategic ore. This positioning could play a catalytic role for the national economy, always according to information from the Africa Agency.
Source: senego / Photo credit: Republicoftogo.com
The Gabonese government decided on Friday to ban the import of broilers in order to promote national poultry production and ensure food security, according to the final communiqué of the council of ministers chaired by the head of state, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema.
The ban will be effective from 1 January 2027, thus leaving a period of 18 months (1 year and 6 months) for actors in the sector to structure themselves, invest and prepare to meet national demand.
“This measure aims to restore domestic poultry production, boost agricultural investment, reduce food dependency and strengthen the trade balance,” the government hopes. Gabon also hopes to foster “the emergence of a network of rural jobs, the rise in quality of products consumed locally and the creation of an economic ecosystem around this sector”.
The government has also planned a detailed operational plan to be presented within 45 days by the ministers responsible for economy and trade.
Libreville dreams of reducing its dependence on poultry imports and strengthening the country’s food security. In addition, the promotion of local poultry farming should have a positive impact on rural areas, generating jobs and contributing to the development of a vibrant poultry ecosystem.
Imported frozen chicken is the most consumed food in Gabon because of its low price and packaging ready to be thrown into a pot.
“The star of the freezer” is how Gabonese people refer to frozen chicken because it is often the only food, if not the default food, found in the freezers of Gabonese families.
Frozen chicken and meat are generally imported from Latin America and Europe. Their massive presence on the market has destroyed local production.
The Council of Ministers also announced a ban on exporting crude manganese from 1 January 2029. The objective is to promote local industrial development, create jobs and maximize the value of this resource, of which Gabon is the world’s second largest producer.
Sources: gabonactu.com
Mauritania is in the spotlight. On Thursday, May 29, 2025, Sidi Ould Tah was elected president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), at the annual meeting of the institution held in Abidjan. He succeeds Akinwumi Adesina of Nigeria, in office since 2015.
His election came after a hard-fought duel against Samuel Munzele Maimbo of Zambia, who finished in second place. The election, which was marked by major geopolitical and economic issues, took place against a background of high expectations regarding governance and development financing on the continent.
The Senegalese Amadou Hott, long perceived as one of the favorites, finishes in third place, followed by the South African Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala. Despite significant diplomatic support, notably for Hott, the momentum in favour of Sidi Ould Tah has prevailed in the last few rounds.
Former minister and general manager of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), Sidi Ould Tah is recognized for his experience and strategic vision. He will officially take office on 1 September 2025.
Photo credit: Forbes Africa
