Department of Global Communications

April - July 2019 www.un.org/africarenewal

EQUALITY AFRICAN WOMEN MARCH ON

Meet Botswana’s youthful minister Bogolo Kenewendo

Preparing graduates for today’s jobs

Paying a high price for skin bleaching CONTENTS April - July 2019 | Vol. 33 No. 1 4 SPECIAL FEATURE COVER STORY

African Women in politics: Miles to go before parity

6 Economic empowerment of women is good for all 8 Bostwana’s youthful minister, Bogolo Kenewendo, opening doors for women and girls A female worker performs on-site monitoring of

9 Good education is the foundation for effective female leadership cargo in Seychelles. UN Women/Ryan Brown 12 Technology is a liberating force for African women

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Acting Editor-in-Chief 3 Innovative messaging app tailor-made for Malians gains popularity Zipporah Musau 14 Preparing Africa’s graduates for today’s jobs 16 Interview: Aya Chebbi, African Union Youth Envoy Acting Managing Editor Kingsley Ighobor 18 African music on a round trip—from Cotonou to Cuba and back 20 Countries propose a treaty to end corporate impunity Staff Writers 22 Interview: Ahunna Eziakonwa, Director, UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa Franck Kuwonu Sharon Birch-Jeffrey 24 Megacities are magnets for investors 26 Mechanizing agriculture is key to food security Research & Media Liaison 28 Zimbabwe’s beef industry stampedes back to life Pavithra Rao 30 Paying a high price for skin bleaching Design, Production & Distribution 35 Book Review Paddy D. Ilos, II 35 UN Appointments Administration Dona Joseph

Interns

Cover photo: Bostwana’s youthful minister, Bogolo Kenewendo. Alamy Photo Ruth Waruhiu Africa Renewal (ISSN 2517-9829) is published supporting organizations. Articles from this Caroline Dubois in English and French by the Strategic magazine may be freely reprinted, with attribu- Communications Division of the United Nations tion to the author and to “United Nations Africa Department of Global Communications. Renewal,” and a copy of the reproduced article Africa Renewal is published by the United Its contents do not necessarily reflect the views would be appreciated. Copyrighted photos may Nations, New York, on recycled paper. of the United Nations or the publication’s not be reproduced. ©2019 Africa Renewal. All rights reserved. Subscribe to Africa Renewal ISBN: 978-92-1-101411-2 Africa Renewal offers free subscriptions to eISBN: 978-92-1-004101-0 individual readers. Please send your request to www.un.org/africarenewal Address correspondence to: Circulation at the address to the left or by e-mail to The Editor, Africa Renewal [email protected]. Institutional subscriptions are available for thirty-five US dollars, payable by Room S-1032 facebook.com/africarenewal international money order or a cheque in US dollars United Nations, NY 10017-2513, USA, drawn on a US bank, to the “United Nations” and Tel: (212) 963-6857, Fax: (212) 963-4556 sent to Circulation at the address to the left. twitter.com/africarenewal E-mail: [email protected]

2 AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 AFRICA WATCH QUOTABLES UN Women/Kea Taylor Women/Kea UN If not us, who? If not now, when? We cannot fail the women and girls in Africa. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women

Africa will produce scien- tists, engineers, entrepre- Mamadou Gouro Sidibé displays the Lenali app. Lenali neurs whose names will be one day famous in every corner of the world. And Innovative messaging app girls will be a huge part of this story. tailor-made for Malians Peter Tabichi of Kenya, on winning the $1 million Varkey Foundation Global By Caroline Dubois from personal updates to photos to news. Teacher Prize 2019 Mr. Sidibé even thinks people could use amadou Gouro Sidibé of Mali could Lenali to boost their businesses. We are trying to build a have continued his comfortable A mango vendor could post a photo, M drone to dispense medi- life working for the French National add audio that tells his or her location and cines in the rural areas. Center for Scientific Research, but in ask people who want more information to Eno Ekanem, 15-year-old Nigerian 2017 he decided to return to his country comment by voice posts. “Everything is to develop Lenali—a voice-based social done without the need for writing skills,” network app. Mr. Sidibé says, though the app does Only 20 UN member states Unlike Facebook, Instagram and accept written posts as well. have a female leader. Less Viber, apps that rely on written posts, For the entrepreneur, the app is a than a quarter of parlia- Lenali works with spoken language. tailor-made solution to a local problem. mentarians are female. Already it boasts 60,000 users—and The literacy rate in Mali is less than And last year, just 24 counting. 50%, according to UNESCO, which may Fortune 500 companies Lenali integrates local languages such be why the number of Facebook users in were led by as Bambara, Soninke, Songhai, Mooré the country has stagnated at 9% despite women. and Wolof, as well as French, making the the falling price of mobile phones and María Fernanda app accessible to people without formal increasing internet access. Espinosa Garcés, education, including those in rural areas. Mr. Sidibé says his goal is to boost President of the Anyone can download the application, digital inclusivity, first in Mali and later UN General register online and use it. in other countries in Africa, “because Assembly On Lenali, users can select their lan- the problems in Mali are the same in the guage, type in or record their name, post majority of countries in Africa, the app and comment vocally without having to read anything. Posts could be anything see page 11

AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 3 GENDER

Women’s empowerment advocates in Africa are making their voices heard, with the full backing of international organisations such as the United Nations and the African Union. In this edition, we identify the many obstacles in women’s way and highlight the benefits countries are deriving from empowering women.

African Women in politics: Miles to go before parity is achieved BY ZIPPORAH MUSAU

n the fight for gender equality, women compared with the previous year. In 2018 The IPU, made up of more than 170 around the world have advanced in the number of women ministers world- national parliaments from around the small and large ways. Yet for women in wide reached an all-time high at 20.7% world, tracks the number of women elected Africa, progress is measured in micro (812 out of 3922). to parliaments globally every year and Isteps, and the struggle has a long way to go. In sub-Saharan Africa, the number of produces an analysis that helps to monitor The good news is that women’s rep- women seated in parliament grew in 2018, progress, setbacks and trends. resentation in political decision making with a regional average share at 23.7%, Djibouti, which in the year 2000 had has been on the rise globally. The not- according to the just-released 2019 edition zero women in parliament, saw the most so-good news is that the increase has of the biennial Inter-Parliamentary Union dramatic gains globally among lower and been stubbornly slow, barely 1% in 2018 (IPU) Map of Women in Politics. single chambers. The share of women in

4 AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 parliament rose in 2018 from 10.8% to women in Africa are now in charge of Women discuss politics at a women’s conference 26.2% (a 15.4-point increase), a total of portfolios traditionally held by men than in Darfur, Sudan. Alamy Photo/Richard Baker 15 women, states the report, which was in 2017. There are 30% more women min- launched during the Commission on the isters of defense, 52.9% more women min- Status of Women (CSW) at the UN head- isters of finance, and 13.6% more women we see a rise in the number of countries quarters in New York in March 2019. ministers of foreign affairs. with gender-balanced ministerial cabi- Ethiopia saw the largest increase in The usual practice is to appoint women nets,” said Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UN women’s political representation in the to “soft issue” portfolios, such as social Women Executive Director, at the launch executive branch, from 10% women min- affairs, children and family. of the report. She urged countries to make isters in 2017 to 47.6% in 2019. “We still have a steep road ahead, but bold moves to dramatically increase wom- On ministerial positions, the report the growing proportion of women min- en’s representation in decision making. highlights another striking gain—more isters is encouraging, especially where More women in politics leads to more inclusive decisions and can change peo- ple’s image of what a leader looks like, Women in politics added Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka, formerly a Parliament Local Councils Traditional Rulers minister and Deputy President in South Africa. Among the top African countries with a high percentage of women in ministerial positions are Rwanda (51.9%), South Africa (48.6%), Ethiopia (47.6%), Seychelles (45.5%), Uganda (36.7%) and Mali (34.4%). The lowest percentage in Africa was in Morocco (5.6%), which has only one female minister in a cabinet of 18. Other coun- tries with fewer than 10% women ministers Source: Economic Commission for Africa see page 33

AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 5 GENDER

Attendees at an FAO sub-regional training Economic empowerment workshop on gender and livestock in Harare,

Zimbabwe. FAO/Believe Nyakudjara of women good for all But Brandilyn Yadeta, a 32-year-old Ethiopian, missed out on education. “I had Countries make progress lifting endemic obstacles a baby at 19 and the father traveled abroad without letting me know. Since then, I con- BY KINGSLEY IGHOBOR tinue to struggle to take care of my child, which is my priority, above my education.” She is a small-scale trader. overnment staffer Souhayata “In our culture, people believe educa- If the father refuses to pay child sup- Haidara enjoys talking about tion is for boys and that the women must port for his child, what options does a her life in a patriarchal soci- marry and stay at home,” she says. woman have? “What can I do?” Ms. Yadeta ety. Her career is a triumph of Women’s economic empowerment is asks with frustration and regret. Gpatience and perseverance, she tells Africa anchored by education, maintains Ms. Haid- Ms. Yadeta and others like her in Africa Renewal with a smile and a wink. ara, who earned a degree in environmental are unsung heroes—taking care of the family, Ms. Haidara, currently the Special science in the US on a scholarship from a job mostly unrecognized by their society. Adviser to Mali’s Minister of Environment the United States Agency for International Yet in monetary terms, women’s unpaid work and Sustainable Development, says she was Development. “I couldn’t be where I am accounts for between 10% and 39% of GDP, lucky not to be married off at age 14 like today without education. I earn an income. according to the UN Research Institute for some of her peers. Her father resisted pres- I educated my three children—a boy and Social Development, which provides policy sure from suitors and relatives and insisted two girls, now grown. I have a six-year-old analysis on development issues. that the teenager be allowed to complete granddaughter who is getting the best grades The International Labour Organisation high school before getting married. in class. That makes me very happy.” states that women are disproportionately

6 AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 laden with the responsibility for unpaid The World Bank’s report by no means Namibia, South Africa, Uganda and Zim- care and domestic work. It highlights this suggests that all is well with women in babwe) do more than 50% of women own issue to make the case for economic empow- these countries. The report merely high- bank accounts, according to the Global erment of women, which is now a front- lights the positive incremental changes Financial Inclusion Database, which regu- burner topic in development literature. that these countries are making. larly publishes country-level indicators of The DRC, for example, may have imple- financial inclusion. Countries making reforms mented some pro–women’s empower- A World Bank report titled Women, Busi- ment reforms, but women in that country Not a zero-sum game ness and the Law 2019: A Decade of Reform still have no land or inheritance rights, Economically empowering women is not a states that sub-Saharan Africa “had the according to the Global Fund for Women, zero-sum game in which women win and most reforms promoting gender equality a nonprofit. men lose, notes Urban Institute, a policy [of any region].” In fact, six of the top 10 Theodosia Muhulo Nshala, Executive think tank in Washington, D.C. Rather, reforming countries are there—the Dem- Director of the Women’s Legal Aid Centre, a Mckinsey Global Institute, a US-based ocratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, nonprofit in Tanzania, tells Africa Renewal management consulting firm, forecasts Malawi, Mauritius, São Tomé and Príncipe, that, “A ‘best in region’ scenario in which and Zambia. all countries match the rate of improve- Despite a protracted political crisis, the ment of the fastest-improving country in DRC made the most improvement based in $95 billion their region could add as much as $12 tril- part on “reforms allowing women to reg- is the amount that lion, or 11 percent, in annual 2025 GDP.” ister businesses, open bank accounts, sign And UN Women, an entity for gender contracts, get jobs and choose where to live sub-Saharan Africa equality and women’s empowerment, in the same way as men,” states the report. loses yearly because of states: “Investing in women’s economic Mauritius introduced civil remedies for the gender gap in the empowerment sets a direct path towards sexual harassment at work and prohibited labour market gender equality, poverty eradication and discrimination in access to credit based on inclusive economic growth,” gender. Among the civil remedies, employ- On the flip side, since 2010 sub-Saha- ers are prohibited from sexually harass- that “men and women [in Tanzania] have ran African economies have lost about ing an employee or a job seeker while an equal rights to land ownership, thanks $95 billion yearly because of the gender employee must not sexually harass a fellow to the Village Land Act of 1999; however, gap in the labour market, says Ahunna employee. Mauritius also mandated equal customary laws exist that prevent women Eziakonwa, Director of UNDP’s Regional pay between men and women for work of and girls from inheriting land from their Bureau for Africa (see interview on page equal value. husbands and fathers.” 22). “So imagine if you unleash the power, São Tomé and Príncipe equalized man- While women’s participation in the talent and resolve of women.” datory retirement ages and the ages at labour force (mostly in the informal sector) Experts believe that women’s eco- which men and women can receive full is high in many sub-Saharan Africa coun- nomic empowerment is the key to achiev- pension benefits—a move that increased tries—86% in Rwanda, 77% in Ethio- ing the African Union’s Agenda 2063, a the country’s female labour force partici- pia and 70% in Tanzania—only in eight pation by 1.75%. countries (Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, see page 11

Gender Equality: Top reforming countries

Change in score between WBL 2009 and WBL 2018

Democratic Bolivia Maldives Guinea São Tomé and Mauritius Samoa Malawi Zambia Republic of Príncipe the Congo Source: World Bank

AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 7 YOUTH PROFILE Youthful minister opening doors for women and girls Bogolo Kenewendo of Botswana is also adviser to the UN Secretary-General on digital cooperation

BY BABOKI KAYAWE

ogolo Kenewendo describes herself as having been “an ordinary Botswana child with an ordinary upbringing.” Ms. Kenewendo, poised and focused beyond her years, is being modest. At 32 she is Botswana’s youngest minis- Bter, in charge of investment, trade and industry. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics, special- izing in macroeconomic policy, public debt management, export development and other trade-related fields. As a child in Motopi, a small village in central Botswana, Ms. Kenewendo envisioned playing a role in Botswana’s development. In 2011 she met former First Lady Michelle Obama in Wash- ington D.C. as a participant in the Young African Leaders Initi- ative, a fellowship begun in 2010 by the US State Department. Her forays into politics began in 2017 when Botswana’s former President Ian Khama appointed her to a High-level Consultative Council charged with helping to address the challenges facing the private sector in Botswana. Later that same year, President Khama appointed her to parliament in line with a constitutional provision allowing the president to make such an appointment to the country’s legislative body. After completing her studies in the United King- dom and obtaining a master’s degree in interna- tional economics from the University of Sussex, Ms. Kenewendo qualified to be an economist in the Ministry of Trade and Industry in Ghana. Prior to that position she had been an economic consult- ant at Econsult Botswana, a policy research organisation. “I am a pan-Africanist; I enjoyed working in Ghana, where the history of pan-African- ism is rich,” she told Africa Renewal in an interview. When Mr. Khama handed the presidency over to Mokgweetsi Masisi in April 2018, the new president appointed Ms. Kenewendo to GENDER see page 10

8 AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 Good education is the foundation for effective female leadership —Togolese politician and former presidential candidate Kafui Adjamagbo-Johnson

BY FRANCK KUWONU

frican women’s restricted access to quality education, knowledge and resources is preventing them from gaining Aleadership positions on the continent, says Kafui Adjamagbo-Johnson, a veteran West African women’s rights activist. Another problem is that women—especially rural women—are allowed only limited control over finances, means of production and land. Consequently the pace of wom- en’s empowerment remains slow, Ms. Adjamagbo-Johnson says. In an interview with Africa Renewal, Ms. Adjamagbo-Johnson reflected on decades of women’s political leadership, gender activism and professional engage- ment in Togo, her home country, and West Africa in general. Ms. Adjamagbo-Johnson works with Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF), a pan-African women’s rights advocacy group with headquarters in Harare, Zimbabwe. The group operates in 27 countries across the continent. In addition to her work with WiLDAF, she leads the largest coalition of political GENDER parties in her home country. Four years ago she vied for the presidency of Togo, but failed to achieve the post. steps remain to be climbed on the way up Kafui Adjamagbo-Johnson. WiLDAF’s mission is to empower to the top.” women by promoting their rights and She believes that despite political increasing their participation and influ- advances such as women acting as heads The United Nations Educational, ence at the community, national and inter- of state or participating in government in Scientific and Cultural Organization national levels through initiating, promot- a few countries on the continent, women’s (UNESCO) estimates that sub-Saharan ing and strengthening strategies that link rights are still not fully recognized, and Africa accounts for half of the 130 million law and development. Ms. Adjamagbo- their leadership is not promoted enough. girls aged 6 to 17 who are out of school glob- Johnson has over two decades’ experi- There is currently no female head of state ally and half of another 15 million school- ence working with national networks of in Africa. age girls who may never enroll. women’s rights organizations on advocacy “There cannot be an alternative to “Getting girls into a classroom is not and empowerment. access to education or knowledge,” she enough in itself; girls have to be able to stay On the current state of women’s rights says, adding, “It is a very good thing that in school and get proper education once and leadership in Africa, she says, “I like parents have recognized that both boys enrolled,” Ms. Adjamagbo-Johnson says. to think of stairs, if I may. Stairs because and girls deserve the same chance at UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta we have climbed a few steps, but a lot more formal education.” Fore echoed those same concerns: “When

AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 9 [a] girl reaches school age, will her family be left out of these opportunities because experience in politics, she cites entrenched be able to afford to send her to school—and of her gender?” patriarchy. “None of my political col- keep her there? Or will they keep her home Having made it closer to the top of leagues thought of me as not being quali- to do chores, while her brothers learn?” political leadership in her country, Ms. fied enough to be a political leader,” she Ms. Fore continued, “If says. “They accepted me as an lucky enough to go to school, equal partner,” yet “they were will she have access to sepa- oblivious to the fact that as a rate toilet facilities and the Getting girls into a classroom is woman, I have specific needs that information and facilities she needed accommodation.” needs to manage her men- not enough in itself; girls have to Political and social participa- strual cycle? be able to stay in school and get tion in society require women “And when the now young proper education once enrolled. to balance family and work life, lady is thinking of entering the she says. Together with the need workforce, will she have access for education, “That could be the to skills training—including single most challenging aspect of digital skills? Or science, technology, engi- Adjamagbo-Johnson considers herself one effective political leadership for women in neering and math-based skills? Or will she of the luckiest of her generation. On her Africa.”

Botswana minister opening doors ... from page 8

Botswana’s cabinet to take charge of invest- ment, trade and industry—a move gender activists in the country considered a well- deserved promotion. As a parliamentarian, Ms. Kenewendo advocated on behalf of children and women, paying particular attention to women’s representation in all sectors. One of her accomplishments was to sponsor a motion to increase the age of sexual consent in her country from 16 to 18 years. Under her leadership, Botswana’s Min- istry of Investment, Trade and Industry will in May this year finalize the digitization of business registration, enabling companies and small businesses to register online. The goal is to improve the ease of doing business a nonprofit, honoring her as one of “Ten Ms. Kenewendo signs a joint statement with Mr. in the country. Outstanding Young Persons” in Botswana. George Hollingberry, Minister of State for Trade

She says her mother is her role model, In 2016 she received the Botswana Change Policy of the UK. Twitter/DIRCO South Africa as “she taught me to be tough in the face of Makers Award and the Formidable Woman adversity.” award for her contributions to business and On her future, Ms. Kenewendo says she leadership. In 2009 she was a youth delegate repre- plans to establish a virtual community where Internationally, Ms. Kenewendo is a senting her country at the 64th Session of African youth can interact and share their member of the High-Level Panel on Digital the UN General Assembly. She was nomi- experiences. The project will complement Cooperation, established by UN Secretary- nated to present a statement at one of the Molaya Kgosi Trust—her current women’s General António Guterres to propose ways events on behalf of African youth to the leadership and youth empowerment pro- for governments, the private sector, civil Secretary-General. gramme in Botswana schools. society and others to collaborate in the digi- Her advice to young people? “Step up For her efforts in various endeavours, tal space. The panel is chaired by Melinda your game. If you look at history closely, you Ms. Kenewendo has received several Gates, of the Bill & Melinda Gates Founda- will realize that youth leadership in Africa awards, including one given in 2012 by tion, and Jack Ma, Executive Chairman of is not new. Most revolutionaries were young Junior Chamber International Botswana, Alibaba Group Holding. people,” quips Ms. Kenewendo..

10 AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 Economic empowerment of women ... The World Bank recommends, among is the time for preferential treatment of from page 7 other actions, the passage of laws that foster women,” such as quotas on jobs and access financial inclusion. Ms. Eziakonwa believes to credit. that countries must expunge laws that are UN Women supported a review of continental framework for socioeconomic obstacles in women’s way, including those Kenyan public procurement in 2013, and transformation of the continent, and sev- that prohibit them from owning land. South Kenya now reserves a minimum of 30% of eral goals in the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sus- African journalist Lebo Matshego is urging annual government spending for women. tainable Development. That includes Goal women’s rights activists to use social media In 2017, through its Women’s Economic 1, ending poverty; Goal 2, achieving food to lobby against those customs and traditions Empowerment programme, UN Women security; Goal 3, ensuring good health; that infringe on the rights of women. reported successfully training 1,500 women Goal 5, achieving gender equality; Goal Vera Songwe, head of the Economic Com- vendors in Nairobi to participate and benefit 8, promoting full and productive employ- ment and decent work for all; and Goal 10, reducing inequalities. Aspiration 6 of Agenda 2063 envisages Empowerment is limited when women enter the an “Africa whose development is people driven, relying on the potential offered by labour market on unfavourable terms. people, especially its women and youth, and caring for children.”

Taking action mission for Africa, the first woman to lead from the government supply chain. This is What can countries do to empower women the organization, says women, especially in one example of an action in line with Ms. economically? rural areas, need access to the internet to be Sirleaf’s suggestion. In a blog for the World Bank, Cape able to take advantage of new technologies. The quality of jobs that women do also Verde’s Minister of Finance, Planning and The UN Secretary-General’s 2018 CSW matters, writes Abigail Hunt, a researcher Public Administration Cristina Duarte and report titled Challenges and Opportunities with the Overseas Development Institute, a the World Bank’s Vice President for Infra- in Achieving Gender Equality and the Empow- UK-based think tank. “Empowerment is lim- structure Makhtar Diop recently encour- erment of Rural Women and girls advises ited when women enter the labour market on aged “support [for] young women during countries to “design and implement fiscal unfavourable terms. This includes women’s adolescence—a critical juncture in their policies that promote gender equality and engagement in exploitative, dangerous or lives.” The Empowerment and Livelihood the empowerment of rural women and girls stigmatized work, with low pay and job inse- for Adolescents programme in Uganda, by investing in essential infrastructure (ICT, curity.” In other words, women need access which “uses girl-only clubs to deliver voca- sustainable energy, sustainable transport to high-paying, safe and secure jobs. tional and ‘life skills’ training,” is a good and safely managed water and sanitation).” “The road to women’s economic empow- example, according to Ms. Duarte and Mr. According to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a erment is irreversible,” maintains Ms. Sirleaf. Diop. former president of Liberia, affirmative “It’s taking a while to get it, but it’s coming; action is the way to go. She says that “now no one can stop it.”

Innovative messaging app tailor... Network for the Development of Young Starting up Lenali was not without its from page 3 Girls and Women of Mali, are using difficulties, Mr. Sidibé recalls. “When I Lenali for social mobilization. was creating my first two businesses in “An essential part of the information 2014, there were no incubators in Mali. could work anywhere, and in the future, we publicize is about reproductive health, Perhaps my projects would have been we can add many languages.” gender-based violence and literacy,” say more successful with the support of an Lenali was improbably conceived in a Hawa Niakate and Aminata Camara, who incubator.” Incubators are companies supermarket, the 44-year-old Mr. Sidibé work for the organization. “We use Lenali that support start-ups with office space, recalls, when someone asked for his help social network to reach everyone.” management training, funding and other to use the online messaging app Viber. Two Lenali users, Ada and Ladji, say help. That planted a seed for the computer that they advertise services and produce Perseverance, Mr. Sidibé explains, is entrepreneur, giving him the idea to such as vegetables on the platform, as what drives his entrepreneurial spirit. create a platform that caters to people well as use it to host their CVs. The pro- “Once you have a good project, you need who cannot use text-based messaging cess is simple: they record their voices in to be motivated and give yourself the apps, Mr. Sidibé tells Africa Renewal. a local language and post the messages means to succeed.” He urges all young Currently some local nongovernmen- on the platform, hoping to reach tens of entrepreneurs in Africa to explore oppor- tal organizations, such as the National thousands of users. tunities in the digital industry.

AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 11 GENDER

Yetunde Sanni co-founded Tech in Pink, an organ-

Technology is a liberating isation that teaches young girls how to code. Andela/ Mohini Ufeli force for African women Innovative projects tackle entrenched gender inequality important needs of women—safety in this case. BY CHARLES ONYANGO-OBBO In Uganda, Brenda Katwesigye, a graduate of Makerere University, founded Wazi Vision, a company that provides eye- s ride-hailing apps proliferate picking up your children after school,” the testing services and glasses. Ten percent the globe, the year-old An Nisa company states on its website. of the money paid for each pair purchased Taxi in Kenya is one of the In an article for Quartz, an online online or through direct sales channels standouts in Africa. business publication, journalist Osman goes to helping a child in need acquire a ADeveloped by 33-year-old Mehnaz Mohamed Osman observes: “Unlike others pair of glasses. “To make this possible, we Sarwar, An Nisa is run by women and in the market, which collect 25% of the go directly to our communities, perform serves female passengers and children driver’s earnings, An Nisa charges just eye-testing exercises and give away eye- exclusively. 10% of what the drivers earn from trips.” glasses to children whose parents cannot Ms. Sarwar sought to overcome two Mr. Osman quotes Ms. Sarwar as saying afford them,” says Ms. Katwesigye. obstacles: limited job opportunities for she wanted to empower women who need The glasses, made from recycled plas- women in a male-dominated industry and “financial freedom.” tic, are designed in Uganda and manufac- the reluctance of women to hail taxis, tured in Switzerland. because physical abuse from drivers— New possibilities A virtual reality testing kit brings eye including sexual abuse—is known to take An Nisa’s successful launch demonstrates testing to communities that do not have place. the possibilities new technologies offer optometrists or access to affordable eye- “An Nisa Taxi’s priority is to offer safe, African women in male-dominated indus- care services. reliable, and trustworthy drivers, whether tries. It also conveys a new ethos regarding The company’s operations reflect the it’s taking you home after a night out, how earnings are distributed and shows sensibilities of female innovators as well as starting your day with a ride to work, or how services can be deployed to address their concern for the environment, children

12 AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 delivery service. LifeBank uses mobile award-winning Egyptian fashion house By the numbers and web technology and smart logistics specializing in handmade evening and to deliver blood from labs to patients and bridal dresses. Farida Temraza, CEO and doctors in hospitals across Nigeria. designer in chief, has successfully used 1.7 million Nigeria needs about 1.8 million pints of Facebook advertising to promote her com- Members of Female IN, a private blood every year, but its Ministry of Health pany’s brand internationally. Facebook group that acts as a support can only collect 500,000 pints. LifeBank’s Temraza Haute Couture’s video ads network for women worldwide. intervention is timely, reports Nigeria’s The have gained thousands of views, enough to Guardian newspaper. The company has 40 drive thousands of clients to her website. blood banks and services 300 hospitals. Her sales increased by 55% in six months. 600,000 Blood boxes delivered by riders can only be Nigerian-American activist Lola Omo- Members of Healing Naturally opened by recipients via a preset Bluetooth lola founded Female IN (FIN), a private Together (HNT), a group of herbal connection. Facebook group that acts as a support net- medicine enthusiasts who use natural “We’re like Amazon for blood banks,” work for women worldwide, shares stories remedies for health conditions. Ms. Giwa-Tubosun says. “Once we have of domestic violence, sexual assault and their order, we deploy it where it’s needed, other issues. Popular posts often get as using motorbikes and trucks.” Since 2015, many as half a million views. 5,000 LifeBank has delivered 11,000 pints and Children that Young at Heart Ghana saved at least 2,500 lives. Ms. Giwa-Tubo- has engaged since 2013 through sun has already expanded into oxygen learning hubs, digital learning clubs, delivery and hopes to add vaccines and fairs and e-learning platforms antivenins. 1.8 million In nearby Ghana, social entrepreneur pints of blood needed by Josephine Marie Godwyll is on a mission Nigeria every year 500 to bring engaging learning experiences to Vetted caregivers with Greymate children, especially those in rural com- Care, an online platform that renders munities. Her company, Young at Heart service to the elderly. Ghana, uses digital platforms to create such Ms. Omolola started FIN in 2014 when experiences. nearly 300 girls were kidnapped from a The company has engaged over 5,000 boarding school in Chibok, northeastern and women. Wazi Vision’s glasses cost 80% children since 2013 through information Nigeria, by the Boko Haram militant group, less than similar competing products. and communication technology (ICT) out- triggering the global #BringBackOurGirls Turning to Nigeria, Chika Madubuko reaches and learning hubs, digital learning campaign. The group currently has about identified another vital service, that of clubs, fairs and e-learning platforms. 1.7 million members. caring for the elderly—a stressful and time- Equally notable is what Christine Any- consuming task that African women are Social media umel is doing with the Facebook group traditionally expected to perform for their Finally, social media has become a Healing Naturally Together (HNT), which family members. launchpad for successful initiatives led Madubuko’s Greymate Care is an online by women. Temraza Haute Couture is an see page 33 platform with over 500 experienced and vetted caregivers and 130 doctors and nurses. Services for the elderly are easily booked on the company’s website, freeing up time for women to concentrate on their work and earn an income. The company uses GPS to monitor the movements of staff in the field. Ms. Madubuko expects the company to grow beyond her country and to provide thousands of jobs on the continent in the future. Temie Giwa-Tubosun, also from Nige- ria, founded LifeBank (initially called One Percent Project), a blood sourcing and

Tech company Andela developers at work in

Nairobi. Andela.com

AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 13 LABOUR Preparing Africa’s graduates for today’s jobs Experts call for modernising school curricula to match a rapidly changing labour market

BY RAPHAEL OBONYO

any Africans with advanced qualifications are finding their university degrees are just not enough to land a job in the Mcurrent market. Ruth Rono graduated from Chuka Uni- versity, Kenya, in 2015 with first-class honours. Without a job after many years of trying, Ms. Rono was forced to take menial jobs such as working on people’s farms. Down south, Banji Robert bagged a bachelor’s degree in economics and math- ematics from the University of Zambia in 2016 and would have gladly accepted an entry-level job in one of those fields. Two years later, without success, a frustrated Mr. Robert is now a cashier in a grocery store. “It is not easy to pay bills, let alone start a family,” Mr. Robert, 25, told Africa Renewal. “The pressure is too much when you have education but no job.” A graduate of development studies, Robert Sunday Ayo, 26, finds himself in a similar situation. “It is sad and very frus- trating that it is not possible to find work, even with my kind of résumé,” he says radicalisation, or the often-perilous migra- teaching today,” he says, implying that cur- regretfully, adding that he now drives a taxi tion journey across the Mediterranean to rent education curricula for some subjects in Abuja, Nigeria. Europe in search of greener pastures, says are outdated. Africa Renewal interviewed dozens of Mr. Chatterjee. That view is shared by Ms. Agbor, who young people across the continent who And because of increasing automation, says that, “It is generally true that in most expressed dismay that their education is the situation for graduates could worsen in countries [in Africa], education systems not propelling them toward their career the coming years. have been geared toward getting a quali- aspirations. According to the Accra-based African fication rather than acquiring skills and Center for Economic Transformation, a competences that will enhance successful Basic skills policy think tank, almost 50% of current integration into the world of work.” One of the reasons for graduate unemploy- university graduates in Africa do not get jobs. ment is that “far too many youths across The root cause of the problem is a mis- Promising sectors sub-Saharan Africa emerge from school match between the education they are get- While some complain of the difficulty in without the basic skills to advance in their ting and labour market needs, maintains finding a job, sectors such as construction, lives,” says Siddarth Chatterjee, the United Sarah Anyang Agbor, the African Union manufacturing, digital economy, trans- Nations Resident Coordinator in Kenya. (AU) Commissioner for Human Resources, port, banking, medical care and engineer- “It means there is something not working Science and Technology. ing continue to need skilled candidates, regarding investment in education.” Joseph Odunga, who has taught math- says Anne-Elvire Esmel, a strategic com- In general, some 60% of Africa’s unem- ematics in Kenya and Botswana, agrees. munications officer with the AfroCham- ployed are youth, according to the World “The lessons we used to teach in the pions Initiative, which promotes Africa’s Bank, and many are resorting to crime, 1990s are the same course content we are homegrown companies.

14 AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 and investing in STEM—sciences, technol- itself is not a function of the education ogy, engineering and mathematics—which systems and skills alone. There are many is not sufficiently done at present.” other factors that lead to unemployment, Preparing Africa’s graduates for today’s jobs Her organization proposes an Africa- ranging from sociopolitical stability, eco- focused infrastructure plan that uses local nomic structures, and global dynamics, Experts call for modernising school curricula to match a rapidly changing labour market skills to implement projects. together with the general economic growth “We have massive infrastructure of the countries.” needs and ought to provide opportunities to a huge young population over the next Africa needs job creators decade,” Ms. Esmel says. She stresses the Ms. Mohammed suggests Africa mostly need for competent artisans and techni- needs job creators—namely entrepreneurs. cians in the building and construction “We need African Silicon Valleys sprout- industry and in power and energy plants. ing across the continent. Economies that The snag, however, is that “technical thrive around the world are built on the vocational education and training [TVET] foundation of an enabling environment for is stigmatized as a second-rate learning entrepreneurship to flourish. track, despite its capacity to promote the “Global multinationals such as Face- acquisition and development of entre- book, Twitter, LinkedIn and What- preneurial and innovative skills for self- sApp employ hundreds of thousands of employment,” laments Mr. Chatterjee. people, directly and indirectly,” adds Ms. With adequate allocation of resources, Mohammed. he says “modernizing teaching and learn- Many are looking forward to an Afri- ing facilities in TVET institutions, as well can Continental Free Trade Area, a single as training and continuous professional pan-African market for goods and services development of TVET teachers” will be expected to go into force in the coming possible. months, which will enable skilled young Overall, sub-Saharan Africa spends Africans to move freely within markets in 5% of its GDP on education. In 2015, in search of jobs. Incheon, South Korea, the World Education Still, Aya Chebbi, the AU’s youth envoy, Forum adopted a declaration that requires says that without the right skills, the youth countries to commit 4%–6% of their GDP may reap little from the continent’s eco- or 15%–20% of their public expenditures to nomic integration. She echoes others call- education. UNESCO organised the forum ing for the continent’s education curricula with the support of other UN entities and to be updated to align with the current the World Bank. labour market. A recent report shows Zimbabwe, Ms. Chebbi says young people can hone Students of the Africa Leadership University Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) and Sen- their entrepreneurial skills if they focus on School of Business graduate in Kigali. egal have met or surpassed the 6%-of-GDP science, technology, engineering, entrepre- Office of President Paul Kagame target, while South Sudan, the Democratic neurship and mathematics and have access Republic of Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Uganda to on-the-job training. and Madagascar, among others, spend less In December 2018, Morocco hosted the The mismatch between labour market than 2.5% of their GDP on education. first African Forum on Vocational Train- needs and the skills of many graduates A concern is that a high proportion of ing. The aim was to create a model of in Africa is underscored by the Kenyan education spending (an average of 85%) partnership among African countries to government’s recent launch of the “Com- is recurrent, including 56% expended on promote access to vocational training for petency-Based Curriculum,” which inte- wages. youth. The forum signaled that African grates digital technologies to teach stu- Kenya’s former Cabinet Secretary for countries are attaching increasing impor- dents inclined toward information and Education and current Cabinet Secretary tance to vocational training. communications technology the skills for Sports, Amina Mohammed, is less criti- The private sector must complement they will need to enter the digital apps cal of Africa’s education systems, saying, governments’ efforts, advises Ms. Esmel. industry that is expanding rapidly in the “Most education systems have inbuilt skill Ms. Agbor agrees: “The private sector country. development curricula. That is why over needs to be strongly linked to the educa- Ms. Esmel would like countries to the years most African countries have tion and training systems to meet labour develop “more theoretical courses adapted developed human capital that is driving market needs.” He encourages companies to problem solving with regards to eco- the development agenda.” to offer young people apprenticeships, nomic challenges, providing graduates In an interview with Africa Renewal, internships, mentorships and even skills with practical skills for the labour market Ms. Mohammed said, “Unemployment certification programs.

AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 15 INTERVIEW Young people can capably lead Africa into the future — Aya Chebbi, African Union Youth Envoy

ya Chebbi of Tunisia is the first-ever youth envoy of the African Union. Her appoint- A ment in November 2018 boosts the AU’s efforts to include the talents and skills of the continent’s bulging youth population in achieving its Agenda 2063, a framework for Africa’s socioeconomic transformation. Ms. Chebbi is expected to promote, among other issues, youth leadership and participation in governance, gender equality, safe migration, employment and climate change action. Raphael Obonyo, a youth activist, interviewed Ms. Chebbi for Africa Renewal on a range of issues affecting Africa’s young people. These are excerpts.

What do you hope to achieve during your for young women). As well, I will focus tenure? on issues affecting refugees, returnees and internally displaced people. As you I have a mandate to advocate for the imple- know, the AU theme for 2019 is “Refugees, mentation of the African Youth Charter, Returnees and Internationally Displaced the Demographic Dividend Roadmap and Persons.” Agenda 2063. I see my role as a bridge builder, building trust by closing the infor- The youth constitute about 60% of Afri- mation gap between the AU and the Afri- ca’s unemployed. How can we tackle youth can youth, which can be achieved with a unemployment? strong and bold communication strategy We need to start a discussion soon with and by establishing accessible and inclu- member states on the future of work in sive spaces for conversations that matter Africa. As much as there is an effort to to youth at the African Union Commis- address job creation, we seem to be creat- sion (AUC). In addition, I aim to foster ing jobs that will disappear in a few years. intergenerational dialogue, starting from There is a need for these conversations, the community level, to address the gap in parallel with urgent action for creating between the elders and African youth. I livelihoods for youth. I would like to see the also plan to help mobilize young people AUC activate the AU Youth Development around pan-Africanism, bringing them Fund to support youth-led entrepreneurial closer to our pan-African vision, which is initiatives. Youth development funds set up to lead in efforts at achieving the aspira- at subregional and national levels can also tions of Agenda 2063. support youth employment. In addition, supporting the youth with internships, pro- We can achieve these through partner- fessional programs, trainings and positive ship, support, participation and coordina- experiences is vital. tion with young people themselves. This is a “working together” process—listening, The 2006 African Youth Charter is a sharing and acting to amplify youth voices. framework for consolidating efforts to empower young people in driving develop- What are your top priorities? ment on the continent. How is its imple- I will say, first, the four pillars of the Demo- mentation going? graphic Dividend Roadmap: economy, edu- First, we still must make sure that all coun- cation, health and governance (especially tries sign and ratify the Charter. Regarding

16 AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 implementation, we have a lot of work to do in many areas, includ- ing providing employment, sustainable livelihood, education, health, youth participation and so on.

How can the youth participate effectively and benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area? As part of the economic integration project, the AfCFTA is a step forward. Creating jobs through intra-African trade may discour- age the youth from migrating out of Africa in search of better opportunities. The AfCFTA requires African states to add value to their primary commodities and boost their services sector. For young people to benefit from a huge pan-African market, countries must revisit their education curricula to ensure that acquired knowledge and skills are adapted to market needs. Young people must develop the capacity for entrepreneurship. There is a need to promote science, technology, engineering, maths and entrepre- neurship in schools. The youth are better placed to participate in the digital economy.

How do you plan to promote the AU and its Commission to young people? The AU is an institution that was formed on the values of pan- Africanism, and we should not give up on it. The union holds the legacy of our collective liberation and collective future. Besides, it is important to understand how the AU is organised so that we can manage expectations of what it can achieve. The AU as a regional body does not have the power to implement or enforce policies in individual countries. This remains a key challenge in the imple- mentation of policy frameworks and themes adopted by the AU Assembly. We should strengthen and reform the AUC to be more effective. Young people should be encouraged to lead some of its organs. I accepted the appointment because of a strong conviction that the AU will always remain relevant to Africa’s unity.

How did you get to be appointed the AU’s youth envoy? I was appointed through a transparent process. There was an open call online for youth to submit their applications for the position. I applied and was among the 706 applicants, of which a shortlist of 17 was made and then four of us were invited for interviews. A panel of 14 members interviewed me. It was the biggest panel I have ever faced. Every member of the panel had to score the can- didates according to the set criteria. I scored the first.

What is your final message to African youth? My message is, you can be whatever you want to be. There are only two things you need to do: find your identity and live your mission. You need to know who you are and what you stand for. Once you know your identity, know why you wake up every day and why you do what you do, that’s your mission. I want my appointment to be an inspiration to other African youths to pursue leadership positions wherever they are and in whatever they do. I would like to add that young people should aspire to be pan-Africanists. We have been talking a lot about the ’60s and the liberation movements that inspired us. Now we need to be the pan-Africanists of the 21st century, to lead this continent to where it deserves to be. The future of Africa is certainly bright if we unite around this collective pan- African vision that my liberation is your liberation.

AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 17 ARTS & CULLTURE African music on a round trip —from Cotonou to Cuba and back Caribbean influence leaves its mark as popular Afro rhythms develop

BY FRANCK KUWONU

t’s Sunday night at Aba House, an food and wash it down with beer, whiskey Angélique Kidjo performs in a concert.

open-air bar in Lomé, Togo’s capital, and soft drinks. North Caroline Museum of Art and stylish young men and women in A few minutes earlier, the band had modern African dress fill the dance played an up-tempo reggae tune and a high- Ifloor as the bass guitarist pumps up the life rendition of a Christian hymn, but it was Salsa music has remained popular in tempo. Powerful! Soulful! the sound of the Afro-Cuban rumba that got West Africa since it was introduced in the The lyrics are in Mina, a local language people spinning, shimmying and swinging region in the 1950s, reportedly by sailors. in southern Togo and parts of neighboring their hips on the now-crowded dance floor. From Lomé to Bamako in Mali, Conakry Benin, but the music is unmistakably Afro- “This is my father’s bar and we play here in Guinea, Cotonou in Benin and Dakar in Cuban, a genre with global acclaim. every Sunday evening,” George Lassey, the Senegal, live bands have gained interna- The weather is cool, the air filled with a bandleader, told Africa Renewal. “We play tional fame playing catchy Cuban dance misty marine breeze coming from the roar- all kinds of music: reggae, gospel, salsa and tunes. ing Atlantic Ocean. others.” Among the well-known bands incor- Across the street, onlookers marvel at However, Mr. Lassey says, salsa is “by porating the Cuban groove are Orches- the colorful dresses and practiced dance far the most requested during our live tra Baobab and Le Super Etoile de moves and watch as patrons nibble on finger performances.” Dakar, the latter famed for mbalax and

18 AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 Latin-influenced dance music, in which Hispanic components are the vocal style Somethin’” includes the refrain, “Mama- Senegalese superstar Youssou N’Dour, who and lyrical poetry of the songs. Its call-and- say mama-sah ma-ma-coo-sah.” Music is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, response pattern comes from African Bantu experts believe Mr. Jackson sampled the shot to fame. Others include the Rail Band tradition. refrain from Mr. Dibango’s album. in Bamako and Orchestre Poly-Rhythmo “Indépendance Cha Cha,” performed Over the years Congolese rumba, Nige- de Cotonou. by Joseph Kabasele (known by his stage rian Afrobeat, Ghanaian highlife, Carib- name Le Grand Kallé), was composed bean calypso, Antilles zouk, Trinidadian African-flavored salsa and performed for the first time in 1960 soca and dancehall music gained currency In early 2010, some of Africa’s renowned to celebrate the imminent independence in Africa and in the diaspora, while becom- salsa vocalists joined forces with New of the former Belgian Congo (present- ing telling signs of the popularity of African York–based musicians to form Africando, day Democratic Republic of Congo). The rhythms and their influences around the a group that successfully brought African- song quickly gained continentwide appeal world. flavored salsa to the global music market. during a period when several other African Growing up in Benin, Angélique Kidjo, countries were in the process of gaining Afrosoca genre now an internationally acclaimed artist independence from colonial rule. The song In the Caribbean, AfroSoca—a blend of and another UNICEF Goodwill Ambassa- is still performed today, and it has inspired Afrobeat, traditional soca and dancehall— dor, felt a strong connection to salsa. other pan-African genres such as soukous, emerged in 2014. The genre, introduced by “As I was listening to Celia, I could hear makossa and coupé décalé. Trinidadian Olatunji Yearwood, has been Africa,” Ms. Kidjo remembers, referring In turn, makossa, a Cameroonian genre growing in popularity on both sides of the to Celia Cruz, often called the “Queen of popularized internationally by saxophon- Atlantic, and as far away as South Africa. Salsa.” ist Manu Dibango, contributed to the In West Africa, popular Nigerian artist In July 2016, Angélique Kidjo teamed emergence of disco in the US through his Flavour N’abania scored a major hit in up with several New York–based Cuban song “Soul Makossa.” 2011 with a catchy remix of his 2005 song musicians to perform a tribute to the late In the album Thriller, released in 1982, “Nwa Baby (Ashawo Remix).” The song Celia Cruz before taking the show on the Michael Jackson’s song “Wanna Be Startin’ was a cover of “Sawale,” a popular highlife road across the US, Europe and Asia. hit from the 1960s. The original “Sawale” The enduring popularity of salsa and and its 2005 cover had a slow beat typical the recent emergence of genres such as of Ghanaian and Nigerian highlife music. AfroSoca in the Caribbean signal the resil- Yet “Sawale” appears to borrow its ience of African and Africa-inspired arts rhythmic and melodic base from “El Man- and culture throughout centuries, some- isero,” also known as “The Peanut Vendor,” times amid challenging circumstances. a popular Cuban piece. Fast forward to “It is well known that salsa and Carib- 2011, and the original rhythm and tempo bean rhythms have African roots. But it is have been transformed into a major hit also true that a lot of modern African music straight out of Nigeria. owes a lot of its influences to salsa and Were it not for the lyrics in pidgin el son cubano,” says Angel Romero Ruiz, English and the nationality of the artist, founder and senior editor of World Music people in the Caribbean would have Central, a US-based online magazine dedi- mistaken the hit for theirs because of cated to world music. El son cubano is a the heavy influence of soca and dancehall. quintessential Afro-Cuban song style (the term can refer to a dancing style as well). Ghanaian Azonto It is a surprise that the 2017 carnival hit A round-trip phenomenon “Bouncing” from Shemmy J & Imran Music experts have coined the phrase Nerdy, both artists from Saint Lucia, “round-trip phenomenon” to refer to unmistakably reminds listeners of Fla- rhythms and sounds that travel before vor’s “Ashawo” Remix. returning to their source. Another Nigerian Afrobeat artist, The Congolese rumba is an exam- Iyanya, succeeded in blending elements ple of the round-trip phenomenon. It is of Cameroonian makossa, Ivorian coupé derived from el son cubano. Son originally décalé and Ghanaian azonto into his song played the function of telling the news of “Kukere.” the countryside. Among its fundamental “Kukere” sounds like a soca song, so much so that while rehearsing for a carni- Youssou N’dour performing in Montreux Jazz val in Port of Spain in Trinidad, dancers Festival in Montreux, Switzerland.

Christophe Losberger see page 34

AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 19 ENVIRONMENT

a draft text for the binding treaty, which Countries propose a treaty could address the issue of the complex global supply chain that currently makes it difficult to determine who is responsi- to end corporate impunity ble for environmental damage or human rights violations. It should also give victims access to justice. If adopted, companies will be held accountable for For two decades, Mr. Gallegos’s birth human rights and environmental violation place of Ecuador waged a court battle to hold Chevron (formerly Texaco), a BY HANS WETZELS US-based multinational, accountable for oil spills and for allegedly dumping 16 billion gallons of toxic waste into hen Ecuadorian diplomat Backed by South Africa, Mr. Galle- waterways and open pits in the coun- Luis Gallegos first gos urged the UN Human Rights Coun- try’s Amazon jun-gle, affecting 30,000 proposed a “Binding cil in Geneva, Switzerland, to immedi- indigenous people and campesinos in Treaty on Business and ately begin negotiations to end human the area. The South American country WHuman Rights,” many countries and envi- rights violations and environmental tried without success to seek redress in ronmental activists welcomed the idea damage by transnational corporations. American, Ecuadorian, Brazilian and with open arms. In October 2018, 94 countries drew up Canadian courts.

20 AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 the garment industry, most compa-nies the case in 2013, claiming that a conflict disregard these principles, says Corpo- between a Nigerian business, the SPDC, rate Human Rights Benchmark, a newly and Nigerian claimants cannot be heard established research initiative funded by in an American court. the Dutch, British and Swiss governments. Undeterred, Ms. Kiobel has now filed Multinationals easily avoid prosecu- a civil case in a Dutch court. “At this point tion because no international legal frame- we’re waiting for the Dutch court to set a work exists to hold them accountable, Mr. date. Instead of facing me in court, they Gallegos argues. A majority of UN member have been trying to prevent this case from states and the African Union concur. even being heard before a judge,” says Ms. Ecuador is not the only country whose Kiobel. citizens or government is trying to keep Although the idea of a treaty draws multinationals in check. In 2016, some huge international support, bringing EU 40,000 Nigerian fishermen took Royal countries and others in the West on board Dutch Shell, an oil company, to a British may be difficult if not impossible. So far, court over oil spillage in the Niger Delta both powerful players in international region. But the court ruled that a conflict diplomacy have yet to back the effort. with the company’s Nigerian subsidiary, European diplomats are concerned Shell Petroleum Development Company that binding obligations for international (SPDC), could not be adjudicated in the business could harm international trade, United Kingdom. documents retrieved in Brussels through Amnesty International reported in a Freedom of Information request reveal. 2016 that SPDC’s operations in Nigeria’s “We were a little surprised by the vigour of Niger Delta region in 2015 alone had result- ed in about 130 oil spills. “There are few places on the planet where the impact of multinational compa- 130 oil spills nies on the environment are more visible in Nigeria’s Niger Delta than in the Niger Delta,” Nigerian diplomat in 2015 were reported by Hashimu Abubakar told the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Amnesty International After several rounds of consultations, the first draft of a Binding Treaty on Busi- ness and Human Rights was finally pre- European resistance against this treaty,” sented to the Human Rights Council in says Jane Nalunga of the Uganda-based July 2018, raising hopes of adoption. nongovernmental organization (NGO) “Big multinationals always use their Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Claimant Eric Dooh shows the crude oil that has legal and financial firepower at the cost of Information and Negotiations Institute damaged the banks of the creek through his vil- people who don’t have a lot of resources,” (SEATINI). SEATINI was established in lage in Ogoniland, Nigeria. Milieudefensie Nigerian activist Esther Kiobel told Africa 1996 to lobby policy makers and consult Renewal. with western NGOs, the UN and other Ms. Kiobel is the widow of Dr. Bari- international organisations to push Chevron in turn dragged Ecuador nem Kiobel, a former government official an agenda of sus-tainable and inclusive before the Permanent Court of Arbitration and one of the nine environmental cam- development. in The Hague, Netherlands, for violating a paigners executed by hanging in 1995 by “The problem is that African govern- 1997 bilateral investment treaty, and was Nigeria’s military government for protest- ments… fear that laws on human rights awarded a hefty $112 million. A binding ing against oil pollution in the Niger Del- or the environment might chase away in- treaty on environmental damage might ta. She was a plaintiff in a landmark suit ternational investors,” said Ms. Nalunga. have prevented this kind of outcome. against the oil giant Shell. “In Uganda a foreign company needs Currently, there are voluntary guide- “A new international treaty might give to take an environmental assessment. But lines for international businesses. One me the opportunity to get compensation the outcome is not legally binding. In- such set of guidelines is the United Nations and rehabilitate the name of my late hus- ternational legislation could make these Guiding Principles on Business and Human band,” adds Ms. Kiobel. assessments mandatory on the interna- Rights, which instruct corporations to After fleeing Nigeria and gaining US tional level, thus ending the dynamic of respect human rights but leaves en-force- citizenship, Ms. Kiobel took Shell before Af-rican states competing for investment ment in the hands of states. In high-risk an American federal court in 2002. After sectors such as agriculture, mining and years of litigation, the court dismissed see page 32

AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 21 INTERVIEW No real development in Africa without regional integration — Ahunna Eziakonwa

nited Nations Assistant Secretary-General Ahunna Eziakonwa is the new Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa of the United U Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Ms. Eziakonwa had served as the UN Resident Coordinator in Ethiopia, Uganda and Lesotho. In this interview with Africa Renewal’s Kingsley Ighobor, she discusses key issues pertaining to Africa’s socioeconomic develop- ment, including the empowerment of women and youth and Africa’s free trade area, which entered into force in April. These are excerpts.

Africa Renewal: In the recently released World Economic Situ- economies of scale in land use. African governments must be ation and Prospects for 2018 report, Africa’s economic growth given policy space to invest in agriculture and agribusinesses to for 2019 is projected at 3.4%, a marginal increase of 0.9% from propel economic diversification. 2018. What do countries need to do to accelerate economic growth? Land distribution negatively affects women disproportionately, and there are more women than men engaged in agriculture. Are Ahunna Eziakonwa: Low productivity is a problem. There must those consequential factors? be higher uptakes in innovations and new technologies to propel productivity in the agriculture and small-scale enterprises. That’s one of the complexities I was referring to earlier. Legisla- Agricultural modernization in most countries is low, as it is tions must be reexamined to correct some of these misfits. As still rudimentary, not capitalized and not commercialized. This you said, in some countries 80% of those engaging in farming means we have a huge potential there. The continent’s economies activities are women, but they don’t have land tenure, no owner- are vulnerable to the volatility of commodity prices in the global ship rights. Studies have shown that Africa’s development is not market. That’s why diversification is the solution. Africa must going to transform unless women are integrated into the formal diversify its agricultural products, and add value to its primary economy. Our Africa Human Development Report 2016 found commodities and exports to avoid exporting its jobs to the rest that sub-Saharan African economies have been losing about of the world. $95 billion yearly since 2010 because of the gender gap in the labor market. Women are already in the economy, but it’s mostly In 2003 African leaders met in Maputo, Mozambique, and agreed informal and unregulated. So imagine if you unleash the power, to invest at least 10% of their national budgets in agriculture. talent and resolve of women. Only a few countries have met that commitment. Why are some countries not investing heavily in the agricultural sector? Specifically, what can countries do to remedy the situation?

Fifteen years after the Maputo Declaration, only seven coun- We must abrogate all laws that are obstacles to women engaging tries—Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Niger, Mali, Malawi, Senegal and and being integrated in the formal economy. Women need affirm- Zambia—have consistently met this target. In fact, countries like ative action to be relieved of some cultural duties so they can have Malawi even went beyond the target, achieving as high as 21% in time to further their education to compete in the economy. Real 2013 compared to the average of 3.1% for sub-Saharan Africa. Sev- financial investment in a deliberate way to systematically support eral factors account for underinvestment in agriculture in Africa. women’s education is important. Political empowerment is very The implementation of the Structural Adjustment Programme in important, too. We have seen countries like Rwanda and Ethiopia Africa reduced agriculture financing; low international funding moving in this direction. This must cut across public and private of agriculture weakens policy space for agricultural spending; sectors. UNDP’s Gender Equality Seal standardization exercise, low political will to accelerate input subsidies, expand extension which has been launched in countries like Uganda, is geared to workers, research and rural infrastructure, and high lending promote gender equality in workplaces. rates limit small-scale farmers’ access to finance. Land reform is key to address fragmentation and maximize the benefits of What unique attributes do women bring to the table?

22 AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 Well, when you ask some of the African presidents who have climate. In 2017 we produced the first comprehensive report appointed women, they say, “Women are less corrupt, and you on income inequality in Africa, which recommended a develop- get more accountability in the use of resources when you employ ment strategy symbolized by a “Tree of Equity” with four main a woman.” Plus, women are the ones who are basically managing “branches”—population, macroeconomic fundamentals, human the lives of their families in many countries. A hands-on leader, development and growth. Over the past five years, our efforts to who’s in touch with daily reality, is likely to make decisions that increase access to electricity have reached 3.35 million Africans favour human development. in 3,472 communities. We are also helping countries to create the right legislative backbone to deliver services and economic Currently 52 countries have signed the framework agreement for growth. Finally, we are working with African partners to change the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), but only 18 the development narratives of the continent as the next growth countries have ratified the agreement. What could Africa derive pole of the world. from a free trade area? Can you name one or two countries where you have recorded Everything. I don’t see the future of development in Africa outstanding successes? without successful regional integration. It’s probably one of the most significant steps that the continent has taken to address its Many success stories come to mind, such as Enterprise Uganda, market paradox. Even though Africa’s population is over 1.2 bil- established by UNDP more than 20 years ago. It’s now an inde- lion and it is expected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050, our markets pendent body with a capacity to help institutions to grow into are small and fragmented and don’t stand a chance to compete enterprises. In Ethiopia, UNDP helped establish the country’s internationally unless they have the collectiveness. So Africa first commodities exchange, which has grown into a multimil- trading with Africa will increase our competitiveness in terms lion-birr [Ethiopian currency] enterprise, and the Ghana Stock of global trade. Exchange is one of the highest-performing in Africa.

What is the UN doing to encourage holdout countries to join Given your experience working in AfCFTA? Africa, are you optimistic about the continent’s future? The UN, led by the Economic Commission of Africa, supports the free trade area. UNDP firmly believes holdout countries I am optimistic because Africa need to get more information on how this will affect them so is developing at a time of that they can make informed decisions on how to be fully amazing new technologies engaged in the process. that can accelerate growth. Take digital solutions, for Tell us about UNDP’s work in Africa currently. example: if you want to make identification cards UNDP is in every single African country. We see for citizens, you could go digi- ourselves as a companion for countries in tal right away. There are now their development journeys. We support more opportunities to finance communities to build better liveli- development projects hood opportunities, and we sup- than before. And port the youth in entrepreneur- many African ship and work with countries leaders now to de-risk the investment have a better appreciation of Africa’s potential.

AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 23 BUSINESS Africa’s megacities a magnet for investors Yet increasing populations will need jobs and modern infrastructure

BY FINBARR TOESLAND

egacities, cities with a popu- 1 billion by 2042, according to the World and towns will increasingly shape the lives lation of at least 10 million, Bank. of people living on the continent.” are sprouting everywhere The University of Toronto’s Global Cities Africa’s demographic transition, caused in Africa. Cairo in Egypt, Institute, which monitors cities’ population by the “youth bulge,” an increase in the MKinshasa in the Democratic Republic of growth and socioeconomic development population of people between 15 and 29 years the Congo and Lagos in Nigeria are already worldwide, forecasts that Lagos will be the of age, will continue to fuel a move to the megacities, while Luanda in Angola, Dar es largest city in the world by 2100, housing an big cities because “young people are gener- Salaam in Tanzania and Johannesburg in astonishing 88 million people, up from 21 ally more prone to migrate to urban areas” South Africa will attain the status by 2030, million currently. than older people, according to Ms. Bello- according the United Nations. In a 2016 paper titled African Urban Schünemann and Ms. Aucoin. Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire and Nairobi in Futures, published by the Institute for While millions of rural Africans move Kenya will surpass the 10 million threshold Security Studies, an African independent to cities in search of high-paying jobs and by 2040. And by 2050 Ouagadougou in research organization that aims to enhance a better quality of life, these burgeoning Burkina Faso, Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, human security on the continent, research- metropolises also offer strong incentives to Bamako in Mali, Dakar in Senegal and ers Julia Bello-Schünemann and Ciara investors foreign and domestic. Ibadan and Kano in Nigeria will join the Aucoin wrote: “The current speed of Africa’s ranks—bringing the total number of meg- urbanisation is unprecedented in history. Power of population acities in Africa to 14 in about 30 years. For some it is the ‘single most important Lagos is a prime example of the economic The number of people living in urban transformation’ that is happening on the power in Africa’s megacities. From its tech- areas in Africa will double to more than continent.” They add that African “cities nology hub ecosystem—Africa’s largest—to

24 AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 its successful banking sector and prosper- A single Lagos district can be a market the Sandton Gautrain Station in Johannesburg,

ous film industry, venture capitalists see size of an entire country such as Botswana. South Africa. South African Tourism many investment opportunities in Nige- Because people in Lagos are concentrated, Africa’s megacities a magnet for investors ria’s commercial capital. companies can benefit from lower fixed costs According to a report by the telecom and easier distribution. “The economics are access to basic services, face precarious trade body GSM Association, there are 31 just more attractive,” he adds. employment conditions and are vulnerable tech hubs in Lagos, 29 in Cape Town and to various forms of urban violence.” 25 in Nairobi. The value of innovative tech Overstretched infrastructure They add: “Global climate and environ- spaces to African economies is massive, as But highly populated cities have both posi- mental changes, and pressure from water, investors pump capital into start-ups and tives and negatives. Rapid urbanization food and energy insecurities, compound the hence contribute to countries’ GDPs. strains already overstretched infrastruc- challenges for human development and the In 2017 outgoing Lagos State Governor ture and creates complex problems for complexities of contemporary urban govern- Akinwunmi Ambode announced that the local governments. ance on the continent.” state’s GDP had reached $136 billion, about Around 75% of homes in Kinshasa are in a third of Nigeria’s GDP ($376 billion) and slums, and Lagos has dozens of them: places more than the combined GDPs of Ghana ($47 like Somolu, Bariga and the floating slum of billion) and Tanzania ($52 billion). 1 billion Makoko. If infrastructure growth fails to Steve Cashin, founder and CEO of the will live in cities keep up with increasing population, more private equity firm Pan African Capital by 2042 slums will develop, experts warn. Group, believes that investors are focusing To address these problems, Africa’s fast- on Africa’s megacities because of market growing cities require all-inclusive infra- size. structure development, advises Mr. Cashin. “My firm does a lot of business in Liberia, For example, the population of Kinshasa “The importance of deliberate and thought- and one of the main constraints to growing is forecast to grow by 61 people every hour ful urban planning cannot be understated, businesses and attracting investment there until 2030. People will have to look for jobs not only for the efficiency and productivity is the population size and density. When and use public transport and other social of these cities but also for the safety of its the entire country’s population is just about services. inhabitants.” 4 million, and you’re likely only to reach a Ms. Bello-Schünemann and Ms. Aucoin He adds that “proper urban planning small fraction of that, it is harder to make a elaborates: “Most of Africa’s urban residents compelling business case,” says Mr. Cashin. live in informal settlements or slums, lack see page 34

AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 25 AGRICULTURE Mechanizing agriculture is key to food security Governments and the private sector must partner to increase investments in the sector BY BUSANI BAFANA

n African woman with hoe in promote agricultural transformation and hand is the default symbol of improve food security in Africa. agriculture in Africa, according Africa currently spends a whopping $35 to the late Calestous Juma, billion annually on food imports, according AAfrican academic and former Harvard to the African Development Bank (AfDB), Kennedy School professor. Mr. Juma used which projects that if the current trend that image to convey the drudgery-filled continues, food imports could rise to $110 farming that women on the continent face. billion by 2050. Africa should be the bread- Women grow 70% of Africa’s food on basket of the world, says AfDB president smallholder farms, a task anchored by phys- Akinwumi Adesina. ical labour. “Technologies to achieve Africa’s green Now, with Africa’s population expected revolution exist but are mostly just sitting to double by 2050, the continent must ditch on the shelves. The challenge is a lack of the hoe in favour of modern technology, supportive policies to ensure that they are which will complete the same tasks far more scaled up to reach millions of farmers,” Mr. efficiently. Adesina adds. A transformation from small-scale subsistence farms to mechanised, more The Maputo Declaration commercially viable farms is essential, say African leaders in 2003 adopted the growth in mechanized agriculture and con- experts at the Ghana-based African Centre Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and sequently achieved higher output. for Economic Transformation. Food Security, which requires countries to Successful mechanization will be key Currently, mechanisation levels on allocate at least 10% of public expenditure to tackling major challenges on the conti- farms across Africa are very low, with the to agriculture with the goal of achieving 6% nent, the report concludes, from spiraling number of tractors in sub-Saharan Africa annual growth in the sector. food import costs to rampant rural unem- ranging from 1.3 per square kilometre in Yet 16 years later, only 13 countries ployment. The report recommends using Rwanda to 43 per square kilometre in South have achieved at least 6% growth in the public-private partnerships to develop local Africa, compared with 128 per square kilo- agricultural sector, stalling Africa’s dream machinery industries to ensure affordable metre in India and 116 per square kilometre of a food revolution. Those countries are and appropriate technology is in use. It in Brazil. Benin, Burundi, Cape Verde, Ethiopia, also recommends incentivizing the private According to the Food and Agricul- Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nige- sector to invest in mechanization through ture Organisation (FAO), a UN specialized ria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Togo. tax waivers and smart subsidies. agency that champions efforts to defeat In addition to the Maputo Declaration, Finally, thanks to advances in renewa- hunger, Africa overall has less than two the Malabo Montpellier Panel (MMP), a ble energy and digital technology, Africa can tractors per 1,000 hectares of cropland. group of African and international experts, leapfrog the stages of technological develop- There are 10 tractors per 1,000 hectares in recommended in 2014 that African coun- ment other regions have had to undertake, South Asia and Latin America. tries develop national agricultural mecha- making its mechanization process both Without mechanized agriculture, nization investment plans as a critical step swift and extremely lucrative, according productivity suffers drastically, lowering to increasing productivity. to the report. farmers’ earnings, notes the Alliance for a In a report in 2018 the MMP listed Dr. Katrin Glatzel, programme leader of Green Revolution in Africa, an organiza- 12 African countries, including Ethiopia, the MMP, who is also a research fellow at the tion funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Rwanda, Tanzania International Food Policy Research Insti- and Rockefeller Foundations that seeks to and Zambia as having demonstrated strong tute, a US-based food research organisation,

26 AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 counterintuitive in these markets with relatively low cost of labour, but paying a human being to do this is still much more expensive than a tractor.” Labor is also increasingly hard to find as more Nigerians move to cities and exist- ing farmers get older. Using a tractor can help farmers plant fields in time for rain. Because planting with a tractor is also more consistent than planting by hand, it can also improve yields. In Zambia, Rent to Own, a nongov- ernmental organisation founded in 2010, leases equipment such as pumps, presses, tractors, shellers and bicycles to farmers. One of the advantages of mechanised agriculture is that it can potentially attract youth to farms and put a dent in Africa’s high youth unemployment, which accounts for about 60% of total unemployed. The example of Zimbabwe’s young agripreneurs is instructive. Three years ago, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) loaned Gift Chawara, Shepard Karwizi and Pinnot Karwizi a planter and a sheller with which they started a business. Their company is now offering shelling and planting services to almost 150 family farms in Mwanga village, northwest of the capital Harare. They had graduated from an agricul- tural mechanization training programme points out that over half the fruits and Factory worker in Ethiopia explaining tractor use managed by CIMMYT. Last season, the vegetables produced in sub-Saharan Africa to colleagues. IFPRI/Xiaobo Zhang trio earned about $7,000 just from shell- are lost, mostly because of inefficient post- ing over 300 tons of maize, according to harvest handling and lack of processing CIMMYT. equipment. Some laudable initiatives But these young Zimbabweans could Mechanization, Ms. Glatzel posits, is Some private sector initiatives have be outliers, asserts Frédéric Baudron, a not only for tilling land, it is also for plant- stepped into the breach created by unsuc- senior systems agronomist at CIMMYT, ing, harvesting, processing and storage of cessful state- and donor-led efforts to pro- who finds mechanization by smallholder produce. mote mechanization. famers in Zimbabwe still low. “Increased levels of mechanization will In Nigeria, Hello Tractor, a technology CIMMYT’s mechanization training boost social and economic processes in start-up, is a quickly expanding Uber-like programme is implemented under the both on-farm and off-farm roles in rural programme that gives farmers temporary Farm Mechanization and Conservation communities, through reducing drudgery access to tractors on demand. Agriculture for Sustainable Intensifica- of farm work and improving yields,” Ms. Farmers can request a tractor via a tion project and supported by the Austral- Glatzel tells Africa Renewal. text message to an agent, who aggregates ian Centre for International Agricultural “Not only will mechanization result in requests. A tech platform pairs available Research. The project has benefitted over increased employment, it will also improve tractors with jobs, and then tracks each a hundred young people from Ethiopia, land management and productivity as well piece of equipment as it’s used. Kenya, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. as the quality of the crops that are pro- With a tractor, a field that might take Such efforts, replicated across Africa, duced,” she adds. 40 days to prepare for planting by hand could push the frontiers of agricultural To achieve these goals, farmers in devel- can be prepped in eight hours. It’s also productivity. But governments need to oping countries must spend more on fer- cheaper to rent a tractor than to hire farm increase investments in the sector. tilizer, seeds and agrochemicals, says the workers, says Jehiel Oliver, the 35-year- It’s time for the continent to rethink FAO. old founder of Hello Tractor. “It seems the hoe.

AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 27 AGRICULTURE Zimbabwe’s beef industry stampedes back to life After a decade in limbo, beef farmers are back in business

BY RAY MWAREYA

imbabwe’s famed beef indus- Big commercial and rural farmers are try, which collapsed in the dreaming once more of the glory days of 2000s following outbreaks of the 1990s, when Zimbabwe’s beef indus- foot-and-mouth disease, is now try was the envy of its Southern African Zrebounding. neighbours. The Southern African country’s global beef exports resumed in 2017, 10 years Good old days after they slowed to a crawl when the In those good old days, Zimbabwe’s beef country’s economy tumbled. In addition cattle herd topped 1.4 million and raked to the foot-and-mouth disease, the beef in about $50 million yearly from exports industry had been hit by crippling eco- to the lucrative European market, par- nomic sanctions imposed on the country ticularly the UK, Germany and the Neth- by Western nations, which contributed erlands. For most beef-producing prov- to hyperinflation, huge foreign debts and inces of Zimbabwe, commercial beef sales obsolete transport fleets. Mismanagement accounted for about 80% of income. of livestock farms worsened the situation. At that time, the state-owned Cold Stor- President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who age Commission enjoyed the privilege of assumed office in November 2017, is now a whopping $15 million up-front payment seeking to revive the nation’s most strate- before delivery to countries in Europe. gic asset by actively wooing investors. The Isaiah Machingura, Marketing Direc- “We began with a pedigree Tuli herd country’s top commercial farmers, whose tor of the CSC, connects the rebound to species of cattle. They are indigenous to Zim- herds of livestock were decimated, are the fact that “the UK has opened up big babwe and are known to be very fertile,” slowly returning. markets. Our canned product is one of the explains Max Makuvise, the MCC’s chief A joint $48 million cash injection by best. We can slaughter 700 animals a day. executive. A good Tuli cow can calve every private investors from Rwanda, Switzer- We do deboning and packaging ahead of 11 months, he says. “Traits like growth and land and the United Arab Emirates is rev- export overseas. Beef in Zimbabwe is one conformation are easy to improve on through ving up the beef industry, which in 2018 of the best. It only falls second to Scotch selection, but not fertility.” also benefitted from a $130 million invest- beef from Scotland,” he says, referring to The Tuli takes in little food and needs less ment partnership deal between Zimba- a popular breed. space than other breeds, which maximizes bwe’s state-owned beef processing firm, A resurgent beef industry is attracting earnings. the CSC, formerly the Cold Storage Com- thousands of rural farmers. In the past, a Mr. Makuvise adds that the Tuli breed is mission, which is Zimbabwe’s foremost small number of white commercial farmers a better value than other breeds also because beef processing agency, and the UK-based monopolized the sector. it has a better meat-to-bone ratio. company Boustead Beef, an international The CSC’s new approach is to expand the “They calve easily, and veterinary costs beef processing company. beef value chain with five new products: ox are minimal. They are usually without horns. The country’s pension fund, the tongue, stewed steak, corned beef, hair tails This makes dehorning unnecessary—another National Social Security Authority, has (for brushes) and tallow (for soap). reduction of expense and handling problems. also pledged to invest $18 million in the As a result, local start-up cattle growers It’s such an easy breed,” says Mr. Makuvise. CSC. and abattoirs are experiencing a change of Although new to Zimbabwean farmers, Innovative breeding technologies, fortunes. One indigenous beef start-up, the livestock genetics is bolstering the growth of including artificial insemination, have Makera Cattle Company (MCC), manages the beef industry. “On genetics, through the been successfully used on a new breed of hundreds of bulls and currently trains use of bulls and artificial insemination [AI], beef bulls and heifers, scooping big earn- 10,000 rural farmers to be paravets, or we have succeeded in helping rural farmers ings in the global beef market. animal health breeders. improve the quality of their herds,” he adds.

28 AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 “AI works by inserting semen straws drawn Another problem is that corrupt beef Cattle farmer Msinanga produces supplemental

from rich-quality bulls. This produces off- dealers buy up bulls from rural farmers feed for his cattle in Zimbabwe. FAO in spring that resist pests and diseases better, at ridiculously low prices and make huge Southern Africa solves low calving problems and produces profits selling to the CSC. The practice species that have healthy grazing attitudes.” shortchanges the rural farmers. The Zimbabwe Agricultural Society, Worse still, the beef industry is grap- Another huge challenge occurs when which promotes agricultural development pling with drying weather occasioned by Zimbabwean livestock, some diseased, in the country, in 2018 announced plans climate change. “We preach productivity. wander into neighboring Botswana and to use 6,000 high-quality semen straws to Doubling herd size strains grazing grass are killed by officials acting on the orders inseminate cows and increase the number of and water. Climate change is a reality,” of that country’s agriculture ministry. Bot- herds in the country. warns Mr. Makuvise. swana, which is a major beef supplier to the To address the problem, he recommends EU, wants to comply with international Lingering troubles innovative measures such as “feeding cattle safety standards for beef export. But despite the growth in the beef industry, with crop residues that would have been Simangaliphi Ngwabi, a Zimbabwean experts say that the quality of herds is still cut in winter. Also, we are currently doing government livestock specialist, says, “We a worry. trials on the use of maize stalks and other can’t blame Botswana for shooting our Mr. Makuvise explains that the major- grasses that would have been cut during the cattle. They can’t risk foot-and-mouth ity of Zimbabwe’s cattle herds are in rural rainy season. These could be used as supple- disease contamination and ruin their EU communities, not in large-scale commer- mentary feeding for cattle from September export license because our farmers let cial farms as in the past, and that inbreed- through to November.” their cattle wander across the border.” ing is compromising quality. Muhle Masuku, an official at Livestock Despite the challenges, the current beef Experts advise against inbreeding Zone, a beef startup, cautions farmers to business is incontestably better than it (father-daughter mating, for example), continue to feed herds organic food. “I was just a few years ago. And indications because it reduces growth rate, fertility believe our meat is a niche, not contami- are that its growth has only one way to and vigour in the herd. nated by any inorganic feeds,” he says. go—upward!.

AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 29 An ad of a skin whitening cosmetic product in Kumasi, Ghana. Alamy Photo/Jbdodane

BEAUTY Paying a high price for skin bleaching Huge risks, including cancer and liver damage, accompany the desire for fair skin

BY PAVITHRA RAO

’ve been dark skinned for many years and I wanted to experience the other side. I wanted to see what it would be like to be But the World Health Organisation warns that skin white and I’m happy,” says South African bleaching can cause liver and kidney damage, psycho- 40% “Isinger Mshoza, whose real name is Nomasonto Mnisi. sis, brain damage in fetuses and cancer. Mshoza is famous for her music—and now for A new skin-bleaching treatment that is catching of African her bleached skin. She initially sought to bleach her on is the intravenous application of glutathione—a women bleach hyperpigmentation (dark patches on the skin) but then natural antioxidant produced by the liver. Intravenous their skin decided to maintain a light complexion overall. glutathione treatments can lighten skin, and the prod- Skin lightening in Africa is not a new phenomenon. uct can now also be obtained in the form of antioxidant It has been around for decades. Skin-lightening prod- supplement tablets, writes Aneri Pattani, in an article ucts are sold on Amazon, an e-commerce marketplace. on the topic for the New York Times.

30 AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 Lately, skin care companies in Ghana and other African countries are increas- ingly using glutathione, trying to appeal to pregnant women aiming to lighten the skins of their babies in utero. Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority warns it has not approved any glutathione products either for oneself or “in the form of a tablet to lighten the skin of an unborn child.”

Injectables are the most dangerous “It’s very dangerous for pregnant women to take bleaching tablets,” warns Catherine Tetteh, founder of the Melanin Founda- tion, a Geneva-based nongovernmental organisation that campaigns against skin bleaching. Injectables to lighten skin are “the most dangerous available now, partly because you do not know what is inside that darkens skin. One such ingredient is Skin whitening creams on display in a shop in the injections … and many are buying hydroquinone, a depigmenting agent that Yaounde, Cameroon. Jasmine Halki from informal markets,” explains Shingi lightens skin. But WHO warns that hyd- Mtero, who teaches a course on the politics roquinone’s side effects include dermatitis of skin bleaching at Rhodes University, (skin irritation), blue-black discolouration most recently Rwanda, have begun ban- South Africa, in an interview with Africa and even blindness. ning skin-lightening products, mainly Renewal. Some creams contain steroids, com- creams with hydroquinone. The US-based Association of Black pounds that doctors sometimes prescribe But manufacturers are fighting back. Psychologists notes that colourism—pref- to treat skin conditions such as eczema, In some cases they may not list the names erence for lighter skin—may affect an allergic reactions and dermatitis, which of banned ingredients on their products’ individual’s self-esteem, perceptions of are meant to be used for not more than packaging. Skin-bleaching products are beauty and economic opportunities. And seven days and only on the skincare and cosmetics industry is affected areas. Over- taking advantage of African women’s craze use of steroid creams African countries, including Ghana, for lighter skin. over a long period Statistics compiled by the World Health can cause thinning or Côte d’Ivoire and most recently Organisation in 2011 showed that 40% of weakening of the skin, Rwanda, have begun banning skin- African women bleach their skin. In some stretch marks and easy lightening products. countries the figure is higher: a staggering bruising. 77% of women in Nigeria, 59% in Togo, 35% Because steroids in South Africa, 27% in Senegal and 25% in reduce the number of Mali use skin-lightening products. melanocytes, or cells that produce mela- “more and more accessible over the coun- Before-and-after pictures of women nin, manufacturers of skin-bleaching ter in pharmacies and even in the streets who have bleached their skin flood the creams recklessly mix steroids into their and markets,” adds Ms. Tetteh. skincare and cosmetics marketplaces in products. “We are now educating people and seiz- Africa. Cameroonian singer Dencia oper- The continual use of these creams ing those illegal products,” says Francois ates a thriving business selling skin-light- eventually leads to a dependence or addic- Uwinkindi, director of the Cancer Diseases ening creams. She claims that “whiteness tion because when they are discontin- Unit within Rwanda’s Ministry of Health. means purity.” ued, the skin returns to its original color, Hashtags such as #skinwhitening and according to researchers Meagan Jacobs, Why the whitening craze? #yellowbone, advertising skin products Susan Levine, Kate Abney and Lester The skin-lightening phenomenon is a that supposedly deliver immediate results Davids in their study Fifty Shades of Afri- nuanced one, says Ms. Mtero, adding that and lead to a happier life, saturate social can Lightness: A Bio-Psychosocial Review of “whiteness has been elevated and pre- media platforms, especially Instagram. the Global Phenomenon of Skin Lightening sented as a universal standard of progress. Most contemporary skin-bleaching Practices. When people say it’s about whiteness, it’s creams contain ingredients that inhibit In light of these dangers, African coun- not necessarily to physically be white, the production of melanin, a body chemical tries, including Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and it’s about wanting to access things white

AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 31 people have easy access to—privileges, eco- skin brings paint a different picture—a pic- which featured a predominantly black cast, nomic and social status.” ture of African women making an entirely a growing number of young Africans are Ms. Mtero continues: “Light skin is rational, calculated, businesslike decision. taking pride in their complexions, coin- what men want; it makes sense for women “This is the reason I believe ban- ing hashtags such as #melaninpoppin and to assimilate to the standard that men ning these products will not completely #blackgirlmagic to celebrate their dark want in order to increase the chances of solve the problem,” says Ola Orekunrin, a skin tones. getting married. And marriage serves as medical doctor and the founder of Flying Internationally acclaimed Kenyan a form of social capital—being someone’s Doctors Nigeria, an air ambulance ser- actress Lupita Nyong’o, who featured in wife, a child bearer and esteemed member vice in West Africa. “We must open up Black Panther tells Vogue, a US fashion of society. It will elevate a woman.” a conversation around skin colour and and lifestyle magazine, that “I cannot run She adds, “Proponents of depigmenta- beauty. The media, particularly the fashion away from who I am and my complexion tion maintain the illusion that lighter skin media, must feature other types of beauty or the larger society, and how they may will allow them to find better jobs, and to beyond the Western ideal, to end this view that.” seduce more easily.” colour bias.” She notes that acceptance and content- The better job opportunities and ele- Following the remarkable success of the ment in oneself was key to a successful vated status that people assume lighter global blockbuster movie Black Panther, life.

Countries propose a treaty to ... from page 21 and neglecting their human rights responsibilities.” The Binding Treaty on Business and Human Rights will not immediately lead to the land of milk and honey, argues Lucas Roorda, a policy adviser at the College for Human Rights in Utrecht, the Nether- lands. Mr. Roorda wrote a dissertation on the liability of multinational corporations. “A set of international rules would of course directly impact cases like Kiobel versus Shell,” he says. “But there’s also a lot of wishful thinking around this treaty. International rules can establish better access to justice for activists but wouldn’t solve the power discrepancy between mul- tinationals and poor communities.” He doubts that a full-fledged human rights court will be realized through international negotiations. “Setting up an in-ternational tribunal for human rights abuses costs a lot of money, while rich countries in Europe and the US are opposed to such a tribunal.” Mr. Roorda prefers a treaty that lays out agreed upon in the treaty but not create an Child standing on oil polluted river banks in international norms that member states international court. Ogoni, Nigeria. Milieudefensie would then be obliged to legally adopt, The long-term impact of international adding, “That could actually make it easier legislation goes beyond the establish- to bring a case involving the Nigerian sub- ment of a tribunal, explains Ms. Nalunga. Environmental and human rights sidiary of Shell before a Dutch court.” “Besides adjusting the direct power imbal- activists and countries experiencing the While Ecuador’s treaty would make ance between international investors and impact of the activities of some multina- rules binding on an international level the poor communities in which they oper- tionals may debate the best way to achieve (through a tribunal, fines or some other ate, this treaty could end the discrepancy the goal of holding multinationals account- mechanism), Mr. Roorda would like between trade agreements and human able. What is not debatable is the need to member states to adopt international rules rights.” end impunity.

32 AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 Technology is a liberating force ... typical women hosts in other countries,” expenditure from the platform and using from page 13 Airbnb reported. such earnings to start their own businesses. The company added that, “More than The top five countries for women she started to encourage Ugandan women 60% of women hosts in South Africa Airbnb hosts among the 14 surveyed were to adopt a healthier, more natural and more are Superhosts—hosts who are specially Kenya—where women earned 34% of aver- sustainable lifestyle. HNT is a vibrant designated by Airbnb as hosting guests age household expenditure via Airbnb— group of herbal medicine enthusiasts who frequently, receiving a high number of India at 31%, Morocco at 20%, China at 19% use natural remedies for health conditions, five-star reviews, and being exceptionally and Japan at 15%. especially reproductive challenges such as responsive to guests.” All these platforms and innovations infertility, fibroids and obesity. In Kenya, Airbnb is providing women showcase how technology can break up the The group is nearing 600,000 mem- with a new way to earn money and build male monopoly over access to the market bers from all over the world, and provides businesses. A report by the platform and society. Clearly modern technology has business opportunities for members to, for coinciding with International Women’s the potential to be a force for equality. example, sell natural juices and organic Day on March 8, 2018 showed Kenyan foods to other members. women Airbnb entrepreneurs earning Mr. Onyango-Obbo is the publisher of Natural remedies have no shortage of about one-third of their annual household Africapedia. critics, and Ms. Anyumel and HNT have endured their fair share of pushback. But she is not throwing in the towel. HNT has now grown into a company that makes homeopathic remedies and organic foods. In South Africa, home and room rent- als app Airbnb has proved a boon for many women hosts, giving an especially welcome financial boost to single mothers, accord- ing to recent statistics released by the online booking platform. “The typical woman host in South Africa earned nearly $2,000 (R25,917.10) last year, more income than earned by the

Tech company Andela developers at work in

Lagos, Nigeria. Andela.com

African Women in politics... Structures Act of 1998 requires political Two main obstacles prevent women from page 5 parties to “ensure that 50% of the candi- from participating fully in political life, dates on the party list are women” and that according to UN Women. These are struc- “women must be equitably represented in a tural barriers, whereby discriminatory include Nigeria (8%), Mauritius (8.7%) and ward committee.” Although there is no pen- laws and institutions still limit women’s Sudan (9.5%). ability to run for office, and capacity gaps, Notably, Rwanda, the world leader in which occur when women are less likely the number of women in parliament, saw than men to have the education, contacts a slight reduction in their number, from and resources needed to become effective 64% in 2017 to 61.3% in 2018. Other African 61.3% leaders. countries with high percentages of women of parliamentarians in As countries strive to implement Sus- MPs include Namibia (46.2%), South Africa tainable Development Goal 5, “Achieve (42.7%) and Senegal (41.8%), according to Rwanda are women gender equality and empower all women the report. and girls,” governments must also strive Countries achieving the 30% bench- to embed gender parity in constitutions mark appear to have adopted a form of and legal frameworks. They must realize affirmative action. For example, Rwanda alty for noncompliance in South Africa, the full compliance with the law, eliminate has constitutional provisions reserving country’s ruling African National Congress all forms of violence against women and 30% of seats for women in its bicameral voluntarily allocates 50% of parliamentary ensure that girls receive a quality educa- legislature while South Africa’s Municipal seats to women. tion.

AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 33 African music on a round trip... from page 19 had no problem warming up with Iyanya moves while listening to soca. “Perhaps [he has] brought the com- monalities between soca and afrobeats—as well as dancehall—into sharpest focus,” Jesse Serwer, a freelance music reviewer, writes of “Sanko,” a hit from Timaya, another Nigerian artist. “The song seam- lessly straddles all three genres; its video features a mixture of dancehall move- ments and Nigerian steps.” Timaya responded: “My intention was to develop a unique sound, that when played across continents, the response and the vibe will be the same. And I am very

happy to say I achieved that.” 2015 to 2024 the International Decade Flavour Live in Enugu free concert on Saturday. To raise awareness of the human rights for People of African Descent. Music is an Naijalife Magazine /Amaka Chimezie of millions of people of African descent important contribution made by people of living throughout the world while cele- African descent. brating the important contribution made A fusion of African and Caribbean con- is the new roundtrip, continuing the cross- by them, the United Nations proclaimed temporary rhythms and sounds, AfroSoca, fertilization of African rhythms.

Megacities are magnet for ... The State of African Cities 2018, a UN and the infrastructure is so overstretched, from page 25 report, says that Johannesburg, Lagos and that their quality of life is roughly the same Nairobi are the leading FDI attractions in in the city and the countryside.” sub-Saharan Africa. Authorities managing Africa’s megacities requires significant upfront investment” and Private investors often accompany have their work cut out for them. Investors that “local governments also need to harness financing with technological know-how. For who are attracted to densely populated cities the potential of these rapidly growing cities example, smart city projects across South are also repelled by a lack of infrastructure by making strides to formalise the economy.” Africa, such as Melrose Arch in Johan- and incompetent city authorities. nesburg, require Informal economies a diverse range of In sub-Saharan Africa the informal econ- talent not often omy—economic activities that are not reg- found in that coun- ulated and therefore not taxed—represents try. Foreign inves- Investors who are attracted to densely up to 41% of GDP and provides 85.5% of tors with expertise populated cities are also repelled by a total employment, reports the Interna- in this field can draw lack of infrastructure and incompetent tional Labour Organisation, the UN body on their own experi- that sets international labour standards ence and contacts to city authorities. and promotes social protection. put a skilled team in Without collecting enough taxes, cash- place. strapped city authorities cannot finance In sum, the key critical infrastructure such as roads, hospi- to urban planning and attracting investors “Cities need strong, competent and dem- tals and power. is to plan with an eye toward future popu- ocratic governments…[that can] work with Some local administrations depend on lation growth, notes Jonathan Hall, assis- their low-income populations, rather than, foreign direct investment (FDI) or opt for tant professor at the University of Toronto’s as all too often happens, evicting them,” says the BOT system—build, operate, transfer—in Department of Economics and Munk School David Satterthwaite, senior fellow with the which investors finance a project (such as a of Global Affairs and Public Policy. He adds Human Settlements Group at the think tank bridge) and recoup their investments by, for that, “People will continue to move to the International Institute for Environment and example, collecting tolls for a limited period. megacities until unemployment is so high, Development.

34 AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 BOOK REVIEW

Making Africa Work through the Power of Innovative Volunteerism Book by Richard Munang

n this book, author Richard Munang notes, food insufficiency is rampant on innovative volunteerism, he writes. In other I offers practical solutions to Africa’s the continent; despite $30 billion invested words, individual citizens must deploy their chronic dilemmas. His goal is to make in the energy sector, 60% of Africans skills to increase ecosystems’ resilience, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable remain without access to electricity. reducing vulnerabilities of people and the Development achievable. “[Climate change] threatens to shrink environment to climate change. But what is “innovative volunteerism”? the economies of developing countries by Mr. Munang reflects on his experience Mr. Munang explains: “Innovative a whopping 75%,” he predicts, “and the as an environmental scientist throughout volunteerism is pinned on the spirit of continent needs at least $50 billion annu- the 96-page book. selfless commitment towards Africa’s ally to counter climate change effects.” At times the book reads like an autobi- socio-economic development.” But Mr. Munang tempers his dystopian ography; the author details his upbringing It should not be confused with volun- picture of Africa with practical solutions in his native Cameroon and the sacrifices teerism. “With volunteerism,” he writes, that have been successfully applied across he made to acquire a PhD in the UK. He “you are offering your skills and labour the continent, such as in Rwanda’s Gesh- weaves childhood stories into the text free of charge,” while with innovative wati area, where vulnerable communities to illustrate some of the more complex volunteerism you do something with your were relocated away from high-risk areas. aspects of climate change. skills that connects the dots or fills the “Considering that agriculture is the The book contains a wealth of data on gaps in agro-productivity and you realize backbone of these communities, this plan different aspects of Africa’s socioeco- economic benefits eventually. also takes advantage of ecosystem-based nomic development—agriculture, energy Mr. Munang lists insufficient elec- adaptation agriculture techniques that the and youth employment, to name a few. tricity, hunger, climate change, rapid communities can safely engage in for their Organized in nine chapters, the book urbanization and inequality as Africa’s top livelihoods.” is a quick read. It will assist Africa’s policy challenges. Ecosystem-based adaptation, which is makers in determining development Despite over $15 billion invested in sustainable management of ecosys- priorities. agriculture in the last two decades, he tems, provides the right opportunities for — Pavithra Rao

APPOINTMENTS

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has Karen Smith of South Africa has been appointed Major General Zia Ur Rehman of appointed as Special Adviser on the Respon- Pakistan as Force Commander of the United sibility to Protect. Ms. Smith most recently Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western served as Associate Professor in international Sahara (MINURSO). Most recently, Major Gen- relations at the University of Cape Town. Ms. Leiden UniversityLeiden MINURSO eral Ur Rehman served as the Commander of an Smith will work under the overall guidance of Infantry Brigade from 2016 to 2017 and of an Infantry Division from Adama Dieng, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on the Pre- 2017. He succeeds Major General Xiaojun Wang of China. vention of Genocide. She will succeed Ivan Šimonović of Croatia.

Mankeur Ndiaye of Senegal has been Ibrahim Thiaw of Mauritania has been appointed as Special Representative and appointed by the United Nations Secretary- Head of the United Nations Multidimen- General as the Executive Secretary of the sional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the United Nations Convention to Combat Central African Republic (MINUSCA). Most Desertification (UNCCD). Mr. Thiaw was most UN Photo/Rick Bajornas UN recently, Mr. Ndiaye served as the country’s recently Special Adviser to the Secretary-Gen- Chairman of the National Committee on Extractives Industries eral for the Sahel. He will succeed Monique Barbut of France. Transparency Initiative in Senegal. He succeeds Parfait Onanga- Anyanga of Gabon.

AfricaRenewal April - July 2019 35 www.un.org/africarenewal facebook.com/africarenewal twitter.com/africarenewal

Your one-stop source for news and information about Africa and the UN. Now available on smartphones, tablets and eReaders. ISBN: 978-92-1-101411-2 Africa is changing and so is Africa Renewal, with a new website, new features and a new commitment to supporting the partnership between Africa and the United Nations. Africa Renewal Online. It’s a new Africa. It’s a new Africa Renewal.