Stop talking about climate action in Africa and start doing something
Just a few weeks after the Paris Climate Change Agreement
officially came into force, the latest analysis concluded that even if
it is fully implemented, we are heading for a 2.9°C- 3.4°C increase in
warming.
This won’t come as a surprise to anyone remotely familiar with the
topic of climate change. It also won’t come as a surprise to hear that
Africa will bear the brunt of the negative consequences tied to these
changes.
With a 2°C increase, agriculture yields of key food staples will decline by up to 40%, resulting in a 25%-90% increase in incidences of undernourishment and putting 50% of Africa’s population at risk of undernourishment.
Rising sea levels will also badly affect our beautiful coastal cities, putting millions at risk of flooding,
and threatening to reverse economic and development gains with the
ensuing damage to infrastructure, loss of touristic sites and disruption
in food supply.
It won’t come as a surprise because we talk about it all the time.
What we’re not doing is acting. The time now is to match our words with
actions. But how do we do that?
Moving from words to action
Practical approaches do exist, and one sector in particular offers
much hope: the clean energy industry, which is closely related to the
issue of climate-proof agriculture. If we make progress in this area, we
can not only tackle climate-related challenges, but socio-economic ones
as well, such as food security, job creation and macro-economic growth.
One way to move from talk to action in this area is through something
called ecosystem-based adaptation in mainstream farming techniques.
This has already been done, for example, in Niger, where the technique
has been used to rehabilitate up to 300,000 hectares of barren land. In other places, it has been shown to lead to a 128% yield increase, which would not only boost food security but would also enhance farmer income, thus helping to combat poverty.
All hands on deck
It’s often said that the only way we’ll achieve change is if everyone
– government, business, civil society – is involved. But again, how do
we move from words to action in this area?
The concept of ecosystem-based adaptation provides another look at how this could happen in practice. Through EBAFOSA, global, regional and national stakeholders are being brought together to create mutual partnerships for climate change action.
In Malawi, for example, EBAFOSA is building mutual partnerships
between EBA-agriculture actors and the Malawi Bureau of Standards to
establish quality standards for EBA products and enhance their
marketability in local and export markets. By doing so, it encourages
local actors to put in place these climate-friendly techniques. This is
then reinforced at the national level, through a National Export
Strategy that is prioritizing the export of high-value,
climate-resilient food crops – such as sesame, a drought-tolerant crop that requires less water than more traditional crops such as maize.
Time for Africa to repair its roof
“The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining,” John F.
Kennedy once said. This is certainly true when it comes to climate
change in Africa. It is now time to convert opportunity into reality.
The irrefutable dire scientific warnings show very clearly how
serious this challenge is. We have spent enough time talking about it,
but now we must set about tackling it. We need to do so for the mother
who cannot feed her new-born child with the proper food to live beyond
the age of five. We must do so for the 240 million Africans who go to
bed with a stomach aching from hunger. We must do so for the 620 million
citizens who don’t have reliable access to energy. Doing so is the only
way we can ensure the African continent never again experiences the
fear of want or need.
what can you do/ have done in your own little community to help climate change? Let us know in the comments section.
Morocco to launch Chinese industrial city in Tangiers
Some 200 Chinese companies are looking to set up shop in Morocco,
following an agreement between the Moroccan government and China’s Haite
group to launch an industrial park near the city of Tangiers.
Moulay Hafid Alami, the Moroccan Minister for Industry and
New Technologies said: “As we all know, there are structural changes in
China, where economic operators are now looking for competitive
platforms. They have chosen Morocco as one of those competitive
platforms.”
With an initial investment of US$1 billion, the “Mohamed VI
Tangier Tech City” aims to generate 100,000 jobs, including 90,000 for
employees from the Tangiers area.
The project is scheduled to take 10 years and work will start in the second half of 2017.
It will serve as the North Africa base for Chinese
companies operating in the sectors of automobile manufacturing,
aeronautics and textiles.
Morocco has already launched an industrialization drive centered on Tangiers which is being turned into a hub with a free trade
zone and deep-water harbor.
Let us know what you think guys, leave your comments and don't forget to share.
This Year’s African Global Economic and Development Summit Had No Africans Present
The African Global Economic and
Development (AGED) Summit took place this weekend at the University of
Southern California in Los Angeles. The annual conference is intended to
be an event where business leaders from Africa and the United States
meet to discuss economic strategies. This year’s turnout was noticeably
different, however, as there were no Africans in attendance at the
meeting.
Whereas in previous years, around 40 percent of delegates were denied
visas, this year, no visas were granted in the days leading up to the
summit says Mary Flowers, chair of the committee.
According to Flowers, “around 100 guests, from 12 different countries,
including Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and South
Africa, were unable to attend.”
“I have to say that most of us feel it’s a discrimination issue with
the African nations, we experience it over and over and over, and the
people being rejected are legitimate business people with ties to the
continent,” says Flowers. People on the ground where given interviews
that lasted only two minutes and were asked random, unrelated questions
such as how old their children were. There seems to have been no real
plan to grant visas in the first place, as people were denied
immediately after completing interviews, Flowers told OkayAfrica.
When questioned about the sweeping rejection of African visitors, The
State Department responded that they could not comment on individual
cases, reports Indy 100.
Though it’s unsettling that a meeting focused on the economic affairs
of the continent could occur without any African representatives
present, it’s certainly not the first time that something like this has
happened—which is perhaps what’s most alarming.
“Africa is a brand”.
The continent of Africa got its name from Greek and Latin travellers who
viewed Africa as a place of darkness or heat. That brand has stuck and
its been handed down from generation to generation.
“Rebranding Africa”
Is Africa so hopeless that nothing good can come out of it? The answer
is no. Africa is rich with a colourful population, culture, language
palate, history and civilization. Africa has many selling points but the
best tool to market Africa is its people. The people of Africa and
those of African descent are in the best position to raise Africa up to
the status it deserves. “Rising Africa”
The 21st century with the advent of internet and social media offers a
unique opportunity for Africans to document and showcase the strides
Africans have made in impacting humanity. From the sciences, humanities,
sports, business circles and politics, Africans have contributed their
quota to make the world a better place.
“Rising Africa” is more than a brand. It is a movement that seeks to
rebrand the continent and give it a new personality. We have to let
people learn about the vibrant and buoyant character of our continent
and its people. The best part of this movement is that it is being done
by Africans themselves. There is so much to celebrate about being
African, and being black. Join the movement that highlights the
achievements of the African community. Share in the cause of “Rising
Africa”.
Lewis Howard Latimer was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts on September 4, 1848. He learned mechanicaldrawing in the patent attorney office of Crosby and Gould, Boston, Massachusetts.
He invented a toilet system for railroad cars in 1873, referred to as watercloset for railroad cars. He also invented an electric lamp with an inexpensive carbon filament and a threaded wooden socketfor light bulbs.
He supervised the installation of carbon filament electric lighting in New York City, Philadelphia, Montreal, and London.
He was responsible for preparing the mechanical drawings for Alexander Graham
Bells patent application for his telephone design. Lewis Latimer had
the distinction of being the only African American member of the Edison Pioneers, a member of Thomas Edisons engineering division of the Edison Company.
He joined the Edison Electric Light Company in 1884 and conducted research on electrical lighting. In 1890 he published Incandescent Electric Lighting, a technical engineering book which became a guide for lighting engineers.
For years he served as an expert witness in the court battles over Thomas Edisons patents. At the time of Latimer s death in 1928, the Edison Pioneers
attributed his “important inventions” to a “keen perception of the
potential of the electriclight and kindred industries.” Lewis Latimer
invented the carbon filament for electric lighting, replacing the too-fast burning paper filament of Thomas Edison.
11 year old Marley Emmerson Diaz loved to read. She read so much that
she felt all the stories had a very similar character- caucasian boys
with dogs. She needed a new challenging book and wanted to read about
black girls like her who were not so popular in the children’s
literature department. She didnt get angry and abandon reading, Marley
decided to do something about it.
Increadibly, Marley decided to start the #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign
which sought to collect at least 1000 books about black girls and their
adventures. The campaign was so successful that she has collected about
8000 books and helped promote the need for more books with diverse
storylines for children.
But Marley’s story does not end there. The campaign has taken her on a
black girl adventure of her own. She was given the opportunity to work
for elle.com as editor in residence where she is working on a magazine
for tweens. She has also published her own book for Scholastica which
teaches children how they can translate an idea into a plan that gets
attention and funding to create change. Basically, her idea is a step by
step Activism 101 book for children.
Marley is not only promoting the black girl literature, she has also
become an influencer at the tender age of 11. What is your idea? Instead
of talking yourself out of it, perhaps it is better to take a page from
Marley’ book and do something about it.
Great job Marley! Don’t stop shining you brilliant black star.
Dr Sandile Kubheka from Pietermaritzburg has made South African
history by qualifying as the youngest doctor ever at the age of 20.
Kubheka graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery
degrees (MBChB) from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN)’s Nelson R
Mandela School of Medicine with distinctions in obstetrics and
gynaecology.
He matriculated from Siyamukhela High School at the age of 15 after having started school at the age of five.
“I am the first in my family to graduate with a medical degree,” Kubheka told Talk Radio 702’s Koketso Sochane.
Kubheka, who is the youngest of five children, strives toward
answering a calling to heal patients’ suffering from diabetes, HIV and
tuberculosis.
He says he also plans to specialise in internal medicine.
The young doctor, who speaks with a maturity well beyond his age, says he’s proud to carry a beacon of hope for his generation.
“In me, they see that ours is not a lost generation. This goes beyond
my own achievements. It is humbling to know that people are motivated
by my story.”
Kubheka wished his mother a ‘happy father’s day’ and makes it clear
that without her willing sacrifice, he would not have achieved his
life-long dream.
“She was a single mother to five children. My mother was also a father figure to us.”
Kubheka enjoys his work with rural communities that often don’t have access to medical treatment.
His passion for assisting the disadvantage granted him the motivation
to help register the Happy Valley Clinic as a non-profit organisation
during his years as a student.
The enthusiastic doctor acquired an interest in endocrinology after
being inspired by UKZN’s Head of Department of Diabetes and
Endocrinology, Professor Ayesha Motala, as well as a family member who
suffers from Type 2 diabetes.
As a result, he served his internship at Grey’s Hospital and hopes to
eventually register for a Masters of Medicine degree super specialising
in endocrinology.
“I am also fascinated by the endocrine system. Medicine is a
profession that is always changing and as a doctor, you should always
improve your knowledge.”
At a time when quite a number of Africans queue up at the embassies
of foreign countries, with the hope of being granted visas into
countries with ‘better living conditions’, a rare few like Patrick Awuah
are sacrificing that to make a difference by returning home.
In 2001, after living in America for almost two decades, Patrick
Awuah returned to Ghana, leaving his job at Microsoft, where he earned
millions as program manager to set up Ashesi University in Accra, to
educate young Africans. “If the current leadership core was educated a
certain way, if they were problem solvers, if they had deep compassion
for society, we would be in a different place,” he thought. Hence,
Ashesi University is known for its innovative curriculum, high tech
facilities, and strong emphasis on leadership. The University stirs a
new path in African education.
In his TED Global talk in 2007, Patrick Awuah explains his call to educate Africa’s future leaders, and why he believes this is very important.
At the age of 16 in Ghana, Patrick Awuah had his first memorable
experience of leadership. At the airport to meet his father, he is
stopped by two soldiers wielding AK-47 assault weapons. “They asked me
to join a crowd of people that were running up and down this embankment.
Why? Because the path I had taken was considered out of bounds. No sign
to this effect,” he noted.
Typical of teenagers, Patrick was quite concerned of what his peers,
especially girls, would think if they saw him running up and down the
hill. So he argued with soldiers. Luckily for him, a pilot falls into
the same predicament. The soldiers addressed him differently because he
wore a uniform; they explained that they were only following orders. The
pilot takes their radio, talks to their boss, and gets everyone
released. Patrick learnt several things from that experience.
“Leadership matters – those men are following the orders of a superior
officer. I learned something about courage – it was important not to
look at those guns.”
A few years after that event, Patrick left Ghana to attend Swarthmore
College in the United States. “The faculty there didn’t want us to
memorise information and repeat back to them as I was used to back in
Ghana. They wanted us to think critically. They wanted us to be
analytical. They wanted us to be concerned about social issues.” At
Swarthmore, Patrick got high marks for his understanding of basic
economics in his economic classes, but the deeper lesson was that, the
leaders, the managers of Ghana’s economy were making really bad
decisions, some of which had fuelled the near-collapse of the country’s
economy. “And so here was this lesson again – leadership matters. It
matters a great deal,” he explained.
In spite of Patrick’s Epiphany at Swarthmore, it wasn’t until he started working at Microsoft Corporation
that he realised it. “I was part of this team, this thinking, learning
team whose job it was to design and implement new software that created
value in the world…. And I realised just what had happened to me at
Swarthmore … The ability to confront problem, complex problems, and to
design solutions to those problems. The ability to create is the most
empowering thing that can happen to an individual.”
At Microsoft, Patrick became a parent. The thought of his children’s
perception of Africa in comparison to the rest of the world instigated a
desire to return home and change the overwhelming narrative that
portrayed the dark continent. He was determined to contribute his quota
towards the continents development.
On his return 14 years ago, he found out that for every problem three
things kept coming up; corruption, weak institutions, and the people
who run them – the leaders. Patrick asked two very important questions:
where are these leaders coming from? What is it about Ghana that
produces leaders that are unethical or unable to solve problems?
In search of answers, he scanned the country’s educational system and
realised that nothing had changed during his time away. “It was the
same learning by rote, from primary school through graduate school. Very
little emphasis on ethics … and the typical graduate from a university
in Ghana has a stronger sense of entitlement than a sense of
responsibility. This is wrong.” Patrick’s resolve to address this
problem resulted in the conception and birth of Ashesi University, an
institution launched to develop young African leaders. “Every society
must be very intentional about educating its leaders … so this is what
I’m doing now. I’m trying to bring the experience I had at Swarthmore to
Africa. What Ashesi University is trying to do, is to train a new
generation of ethical, entrepreneurial leaders. We’re trying to train
leaders of exceptional integrity, who have the ability to confront the
complex problems, ask the right questions, and come up with workable
solutions.”
Ashesi started with 30 students in 2002 in a rented building. Today the university campus is set on a 100 acre land near Aburi, an hour’s drive from Ghana’s capital, Accra, with
over 500 students. The academic curriculum is a blend of Liberal arts
and Sciences. “we’re going to educate computer science students who’ve
also done philosophy, and leadership, and ethics … we’re going to
educate business majors who’ve studied literature and have also done
computer programming because we think that broad perspectives are
important,” a bullish Patrick told the audience at the TEDEx talk.
The university has an Honour Code, where the students pledge to be
honest and to hold each other accountable. The students of Ashesi
University take ownership of their ethical posture on campus. “This is a
huge break from the norm in most African universities, where corrupt
practices run free,”Patrick says. “While the Honour Code may constitute a
reach for a perfect society, which is unachievable, we cannot achieve
perfection, but if we reach for it, we can achieve excellence.”
If more exceptionally minded and critical thinking individuals like
Patrick Awuah would rise to the occasion of transforming Africa, the
continent will make great strides in ridding itself off corruption, weak
institutions, and most importantly unethical and inefficient leaders.
Below's a video of patrick educating young africans.
Nji Collins Gbah of Cameroon has become the first African to win the prestigious Google Code-In competition.
Google Code-in is an annual programming competition hosted by Google Inc.
It is open to all pre-university students aged between 13 to 17 with
parental consent. The contest was originally called the “Google Highly Open Participation Contest,” but in 2010, the competition was modified to its current format.
Gbah is one of the more than 1,300 young people from 62 countries who
took part in the 2016 Google contest, where participants complete 20
tasks split into five different categories.
In the end, Gbah was one of 34 winners around the world to win the
grand prize and an invitation to visit Google’s Mountain View,
California, headquarters. The four-day trip will include an awards
ceremony, an opportunity to meet with Google engineers, and a day of
sightseeing in San Francisco.
Seventeen-year-old Gbah is a bright and ambitious secondary school student who taught himself to write codes by studying online and reading books two years ago.
Gbah is from Bamenda, the English-speaking region of Cameroon that
has recently held a number of street protests over the
alleged discrimination it has faced from the French language-speaking
government.
As a result of the protests, the government shut down the Internet in
Bamenda and surrounding areas. Schools have also been shut down and
commercial activities have been crippled.
Luckily for Gbah, the Internet shutoff occurred just after he had completed most of the tasks assigned to him.
Gbah said that soon after the Internet was shut down, he had to go
live with his cousin in Cameroon’s capital, Yaoundé, so he could remain
connected to both the Internet and the beautiful world of computer
programming.
“I wanted to get a connection so I could continue studying and keep in touch with Google,” he said.
Gbah plans to study Computer Science at the university, and he is
currently working on artificial intelligence, neural networks, and deep
learning. “I’m trying to develop my own model for data compression,
using deep learning and machine learning,” he said.
Let us know what you think in the comments section
No one can deny the high level that
African football has reached in the last three decades. National teams,
local clubs, and the large number of African footballers playing all
over the world, have all shown great physical and technical qualities.
Thus, it’s hard to predict the results of games when African clubs play
in local or international tournaments. Experts say that this noticeable
progress in African football is thanks to the scientific and academic
approaches that African training centers and football academies have
been putting into practice over the past decades. The result is a great
quality of technical performance and physical competitiveness not only
of national teams, but also the local clubs.
Here we present a
classification of Africa’s best football clubs taking into consideration
the number of titles won in the CAF Champions League.
Al Ahly SC – Egypt – 8 titles in the Champions League (1982, 1987, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013)
The Egyptian club of AL AHLY CF,
known as the African club of the twentieth century, is the most titled
of the Arab and African teams, and the one that enjoys the greatest
popularity with the Arab public. The Red Devils won 38 Egyptian
championships, 8 African Champions Leagues, 1 CAF Confederation Cup and 4
African Cup Winners’ Cup titles. The club that was founded in 1907
plays at Cairo International Stadium, which also hosts the great rival
Ezzamalek SC. The derby between the two big Cairo clubs is one of the
most exciting and passionate in Africa and the Arab world. Several
legendary Egyptian footballers played for the club including Abu Trika,
Essam El-Hadary, Taher Abouzid, Houssam Hassan and others.
TP Mazembe – DR Congo – 5 Champions League titles (1967, 1968, 2009, 2010, 2015)
The Tout Puissant Mazembe is a
Congolese football club based in Lubumbashi city. Founded in 1939,
Mazembe is now one of the strongest teams in Africa after winning the
Champions League 5 times in 1967, 1968, 2009, 2010, and 2015. In its second consecutive participation in the clubs’ World Cup in 2010, TP Mazembe amazed the world of football by being the first African team to reach the final of the competition and play a historical match against the legendary Inter Milan.
Zamalek SC – Egypt – 5 Champions League titles (1984, 1986, 1993, 1996, 2002)
This is the other major club of
the Egyptian capital. Founded by a European group in 1911 under the name
of “Kasr-Ennil,” it changed several times before adopting its current
name in 1952. It is the 11 times winner of the Egyptian championship and
5 times African champion. Several famous players represented the club
and the national team of Egypt including Hassan Shehata, Hazem Emam,
Nader El Sayed and more.
Hafia FC – Guinea – 3 Champions League titles (1972, 1975, 1977)
Hafia Football Club is a legendary
Guinean team that dominated African football during the 1970s. Based in
Conakry, Guinea, the club is one of the greatest African teams of all
time. They won 16 local championships and 3 African Cup of Champions
Leagues. Chérif Souleymane, Mohamed Saylla, Amara Bangoura and other
famous footballers have played for Hafia Football club.
Raja CA Casablanca – Morocco – 3 Champions League titles (1989, 1997, 1999)
Founded in 1949, RAJA quickly
moved up the ranks to be one of the strongest teams in Africa, with 11
national championships and 3 African Leagues of the Champions. It
remains the first Arab and African club to participate in the FIFA Club
World Cup in 2000 in Brazil. The RAJA disputes the supremacy of Moroccan
football with the other club of Casablanca city, the Widad Athletic
Club. RAJA Casablanca, known as the Green Eagles, is the second African
team to reach the final of the FIFA Club World Cup in 2013, and played
an unforgettable match against FC Bayern Munich after beating Auckland
City FC (New Zealand), CF Monterrey (Mexico) and Atlético Mineiro
(Brazil). Some of the club’s legendary players are Salaheddine Bassir,
Abdelmajid Dolmi, Reda Ereyahi, Mustapha El Haddaoui, Mohsine Moutouali
and others.
Canon Yaoundé – Cameroon – 3 Champions League titles (1971, 1978, 1980)
The Canon Yaoundé club is a
Cameroonian team created in 1930 to represent Yaoundé city, the capital
of Cameroon. The club was a dominant force in the African continent
during the 70s and 80s. They won 10 local championships, 12 local cups, 1
African Winners’ cup and 3 Champions League titles. The club‘s famous
players include Thomas N’kono, Emmanuel Kundé, Théophile Abega and
other players who not only shined at Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium, where the
team hosts local and continental matches, but also while playing for the
national team.
Asante Kotoko FC – Ghana – 2 Champions League titles (1970, 1983)
Asante Kotoko FC is a historical
football club based in the region of Ashanti. The team is known by its
Ghanaian football style that depends on physical and technical qualities
of young players. The club has won the national championship for 22
occasions in addition to 2 African Champions League titles.
ES Tunis – Tunisia – 2 Champions League titles (1994, 2011)
Founded in 1919, the Esperance
Sportive of Tunis is the legendary club of the capital. The team is the
leader of the local competition with 25 championships, and winner of 2
CAF Champions titles and 6 times finalist of the most prestigious
African competition. The club enjoys great popularity in the Arab world
and is also known for the great fervor of its supporters who were the
first to introduce the ultra movement in Africa and the Arab world.
Enyimba FC – Nigeria – 2 Champions League titles (2003, 2004)
The Enyimba International Football
Club, known as the Aba Warriors, is a Nigerian team founded in 1976 and
located in the city of Aba. Although the club is not among the oldest teams in Africa, it still remains the most successful team in Nigerian football. The
club won the local championship 7 times and twice the African Cup of
Champions. Some famous players who played for the club are: Mfon Udoh,
Dele Aiyenugba, Romanus Orjinta and others.
JS Kabylie – Algeria – 2 Champions League titles (1981, 1990)
The Algerian club, JS Kabylie, is
one of the leading clubs of Algeria and the African continent. The club
with multiple national and continental titles was founded in 1946 in the
Algerian city of Tizi Ouzou. The JSK remains one of the historical
teams in African football by winning the CAF Champions League titles in
1981 and 1990. They also won the African Winners’ Cup in 1995, being the
only Algerian club to win this competition.
ES Setif – Algeria – 2 Champions League titles (1988, 2014)
Founded in 1958, the Entente Sportive de Sétif, known also as ES Setif and ESS,
is the second most successful club in Algerian football with 25
national, regional and international titles behind the JS Kabylie. The
team that represents the city of Setif won the CAF Champions League in
1988 and 2014, as well as the Algerian championship on seven occasions
and eight times the local cup.
