August - November 2017 www.un.org/africarenewal

Partnerships giving Africa a new look

Private sector invests in mega projects

Uproar over Internet shutdowns CONTENTS August - November 2017 | Vol. 31 No. 2 3 SPECIAL FEATURE COVER STORY

Partnerships giving Africa a new look 4 Public-Private Partnerships provide lifeline for cash-strapped countries 6 Global companies give Africa a second look

8 Alternative financing strategies to boost small businesses in Africa Children in school in Monrovia, Liberia.

10 Interview: Li Yong, Director-General of UNIDO UN Photo/Christopher Herwig 12 An integrated Africa: A boon to the private sector 14 Philanthropists partner to fund Africa’s health sector 16 Public-Private Partnerships at work in Africa 18 Interview: Lise Kingo, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Managing Editor ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Zipporah Musau 20 Africa’s app-based taxis battle Uber over local market share Sub-editor Kingsley Ighobor 22 Interview: Gilbert Houngbo, President of IFAD 24 African airlines wait for open skies Staff Writer 26 More African women in politics Franck Kuwonu

27 The new face of the Sahel Research & Media Liaison 28 Interview: François Loucény Fall, Head of UNOCA Pavithra Rao 30 Private schools gain a foothold in Africa Eleni Mourdoukoutas Ihuoma Atanga 32 Uproar over Internet shutdowns Fatima Sene

Design & Production DEPARTMENTS Paddy D. Ilos, II 35 Books Administration 35 Appointments Dona Joseph

Cover photo: Gautrain rapid rail system, South Africa. Gauteng Province Roads and Transport Distribution Atar Markman Africa Renewal (ISSN 2517-9829) is published in supporting organizations. Articles from this English and French by the Strategic Communications magazine may be freely reprinted, with attribution to Division of the United Nations Department of Public the author and to “United Nations Africa Renewal,” Information. Its contents do not necessarily reflect and a copy of the reproduced article would be appre- Africa Renewal is published by the United the views of the United Nations or the publication’s ciated. Copyrighted photos may not be reproduced. Nations, New York, on recycled paper.

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2 AfricaRenewal August - Noverber 2017 Faced with dwindling funds, African governments are turning to the private sector to cover the financing gap for much-needed infrastructure and other development projects through public-private partnerships (PPPs). Analysts, however, want countries to examine these partnerships closely before signing on to them to avoid falling into a trap of bad debt.

PARTNERSHIPS FOR DEVELOPMENT

Henri Konan Bédié Bridge in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Bouygues Construction Partnerships giving Africa a new look Private sector working with governments to fund mega development projects

he private sector in Africa is were to close the gap with the median for Tanzania, Uganda, and others have bene- playing a crucial role in the conti- the rest of the developing world, according fitted from PPPs. Examples of PPPs at Tnent’s economic development— to a World Bank report of April 2017. work in Africa include the Henri Konan more than it did a decade ago. Closing the infrastructure gap relative Bédié Bridge in Côte d’Ivoire, the Lake Following deep shortfalls in national to the best performers in the world could Turkana Wind Power Project in Kenya, budgets, African governments are turning increase growth of GDP per capita by Senegal’s Dakar-Diamniadio Road, power to public-private partnerships (PPPs) 2.6% per year. The largest potential and water projects in Ghana, Nigeria and to bridge the financing gap. Foreign growth benefits would come from closing Rwanda and the Tanger-Med port project investments supported by collaborative the gap in electricity-generating capacity. in Morocco, among others. co-financing with development finance In the last 10 years, the continent has However, even as PPPs continue institutions offer the prospect of neces- welcomed partnerships in such infra- to change the face of Africa through sary capital to finance industries, build structure projects, with the construc- mega projects, experts are urging African infrastructure, provide social amenities tion of roads, bridges and dams being governments to be careful and learn from and create jobs. the most common. There are also part- failed PPPs when signing on to new part- Narrowing sub-Saharan Africa’s nerships in power generation, renew- nerships. infrastructure gap could have a big effect able energy, health and telecommuni- Mukhisa Kituyi, the secretary-general on growth. For instance, growth of GDP cations. of the United Nations Conference on per capita for the region would increase Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, by an estimated 1.7% per year if the region Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, see page 23

AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 3 Partnerships provide a lifeline for cash-strapped countries Governments reforming to woo private capital By Kingsley Ighobor

outh Africa and Nigeria may The project will be implemented, be Africa’s biggest economies, coordinated and managed by the Tangier Saccording to the International Mediterranean Special Agency (a private Monetary Fund, but thanks to public company with public prerogatives), oper- private partnerships (PPPs), Morocco, ating under an agreement with the govern- Rwanda, Côte d’Ivoire and a few other ment and interacting with the different smaller countries can boast world-class ministries involved. infrastructure. Typically, PPPs consist of contrac- In an article published in the August tual arrangements referred to as BOTs, 2016 issue of the African Journal of which stands for Build, Operate and Management Research, authors Bernadine Transfer. For example, a private company J. Dykes and Carla D. Jones described PPPs may provide financing for a road project as “cooperative arrangements between and the government grants permis- governments and multinational corpora- sion to such a company to operate the tions that are created to finance, construct road for a specified period. This allows and manage infrastructural projects.” the company to recoup its investment, The writers observed that in past after which it transfers operations of the decades “Africa’s involvement in PPPs road to a government agency. The Dakar- has been limited relative to other conti- Diamniadio Road in Senegal, which was PARTNERSHIPS FOR DEVELOPMENT nents,” but that lately, due to pressures on completed in 2013, is a good example. The national budgets and the inability of the total cost of the project is estimated at public sector to provide efficient services, $335 million. deficits, former minister for finance and “African governments are looking harder economic planning Seth Terkper says for infrastructure development cash Huge infrastructure gaps the country needs to invest $1.5 billion to support population growth and the Africa needs $93 billion annually for annually in infrastructural develop- demand for commodities.” infrastructure, which is approximately ment; however, other analysts believe With a gross domestic product of 15% of the continent’s GDP, notes the financing requirements could be up to around $37 billion in the 1990s, according African Development Bank (AfDB). $3.5 billion. to the World Bank, Morocco could not Therefore, PPPs are lifelines for cash- Even South Africa, often touted afford huge infrastructure investments strapped governments. as a model for PPPs in Africa, is facing while fulfilling its recurrent budg- “Governments are increasingly energy problems “best characterised by etary obligations, including paying civil turning to PPPs to bridge the financing the power shortfalls and load shedding,” servants’ salaries and running its govern- gap and deliver more efficient and states Ventures Africa. Experts cannot ment. cost-effective infrastructure,” writes agree on what South Africa requires for Then a lucrative opportunity emerged Ventures Africa, a website dedicated to infrastructure, but figures range from five years ago that took advantage of African business. $4.5 billion to $8 billion annually. Morocco’s unique position on the Straits Kenya, for example, requires infra- The private and public sectors like of Gibraltar, with proximity to Europe. structural investments of between $4 to consider a PPP project a win-win: the The Tanger-Med will be the largest port billion and $5 billion annually to cover government can claim to have led efforts in North Africa, and part of a wider plan to its financing gap. Projects such as the to provide infrastructure or services boost the economy of the region. Lake Turkana Wind Power Project have for citizens, and private investors can The idea is to create a logistics hub been successfully executed through PPP promote their involvement in socioeco- to attract manufacturers to the region, arrangements. nomic development, even if they also set thereby turning the greater Tangiers Neighbouring Tanzania needs up to their eyes on profits. area into a logistics and export centre $8 billion per year to meet its infra- Yet a government’s perception of for moving goods to the USA, the eastern structural financing shortfall. In services or infrastructure as a social Mediterranean and beyond, to Asia. Ghana, a country with increasing budget undertaking, especially in poor countries,

4 AfricaRenewal August - Noverber 2017 contrasts with the private sector’s profit- Private firms are not warmly The Tanger-Med port located about 40 km east of driven market solutions, and often leads embracing PPPs in Africa just yet. In its Tangier, Morocco. Bouygues Construction to problems. 2015 report Infrastructure Financing “As with many markets,” reports Trends in Africa, the Infrastructure the continent, says that African countries Oxford Business Group, a UK-based Consortium for Africa (ICA), an organisa- can achieve better health-care systems business intelligence firm, “there have tion that promotes access to sustainable through PPPs. Dr. Thakker proposed a been stumbles with the implementation infrastructure services on the continent, three-phase strategy for implementing of some PPP projects [in Morocco]. notes that uncertainty and a lack of polit- PPPs in Africa. “Partnerships with private firms in ical will are barriers to successful PPPs. The first phase, P1, consists of a govern- the utilities sector, for example, have faced The ICA stresses that many public ment entering into dialogue with a private opposition over tariff and pricing changes, institutions lack capacity, which stokes investor to clarify roles and vision. P2 as well as questions over access, with fears of financial risk for private investors. consists of “creating and adapting regula- privately managed water utilities in major It criticized weak regulatory frameworks tory frameworks and contractual obliga- cities attracting protests over pricing and and corruption in some countries. tions and the institutionalisation of PPP other issues,” notes the business intel- The AfDB lists factors working against Acts.” P3 “will be the project implementa- ligence firm. successful PPPs: “inadequate legal and tion phase, which will include building and In late 2015, private investors engaged regulatory framework for PPPs; lack of tech- operating projects and products, followed by the Nigerian government to distribute nical skills to manage PPP programmes by evaluation and sharing of information electricity faced public outcry over plans and projects; unfavorable investor percep- and case studies.” to increase electricity tariffs. Unable to tion of country risk, Africa’s limited role in Some countries are already changing establish their preferred tariffs, Nigeria’s global trade and investment, small market laws or enacting new ones to improve the electricity distribution companies last size, limited infrastructure and limited business environment. Kenya’s PPP laws April claimed they had lost about $2.3 financial markets.” are meant to assure the private sector of billion since November 2013, when they Dr. Amit Thakker, who heads the policy stability and market certainty. The took over responsibility for power distri- Africa Healthcare Federation, which advo- bution. cates for better health-care systems on see page 23

AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 5 PARTNERSHIPSPARTNERSHIPS FOR FOR DEVELOPMENT THE GOALS

hen travelling abroad for work and looking for accom- W modation, Joe Eyango, a Global companies give Cameroonian living in the US, considers two factors: convenient transportation from the airport and around the city and Africa a second look reliable Internet access. He is a univer- sity professor and wants to be able to South Africa hosts most of the top companies jet in, hit the ground running, make his in Africa, but other countries are coming up presentation and zoom off to another destination in a day or two. By Zipporah Musau Mr. Eyango has been to various coun- tries in Africa for business and work but South Africa attracts many profes- car manufacturers BMW, the Standard has reasons for preferring South Africa. sionals and big multinationals. It’s Bank Group, Barclays Bank, Vodafone “South Africa has a lot to offer currently home to more than 75% of all (one of the world’s largest communication compared with other African coun- top global companies in Africa. companies), Volkswagen, and General tries. The road system is good, there is “Where these big companies choose Electric. There is also FirstRand, Sasol, adequate electricity and reliable Internet to invest depends on whether the envi- Sanlam, and MTN Group. connection, which is necessary for work ronment is right for business. Investors In an earlier interview with South and business,” Mr. Eyango told Africa are interested in relatively stable coun- African officials on why they’d chosen Renewal in an interview. tries, good infrastructure, reliable the country as an investment destination, Recently, having been invited to pres- communication, electricity and labour,” Sam Ahmed, then the managing director ent a conference paper on a tight schedule, says Dr. John Mbaku, a researcher at of Britannia Industries, an India-based Mr. Eyango flew into Johannesburg from Africa Growth Initiative at the Brookings manufacturer of biscuits, snacks and Amsterdam, spent less than 30 minutes in Institution and also a professor of confectionery, said his organization had customs at the O. R. Tambo International economics at Weber State University, US. been looking for a country that would Airport, took a taxi and was at his hotel in Some of the global companies with a give it access to the entire African market less than an hour since arrival. presence in South Africa include luxury while keeping its costs low.

6 AfricaRenewal August - Noverber 2017 However, despite its successes, South the continent has welcomed PPPs for Africa continues to grapple with a high projects in infrastructure, electricity, crime rate (especially in urban areas), health and telecommunications. graft accusations and the political uncer- Lenders like the African Development tainty that businesses loathe. Bank are urging African countries to Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi, the secretary- improve business environments by general of the UN Conference on Trade “creating the necessary legal and regula- FDI into Africa by and Development (UNCTAD), the UN tory framework for PPPs, and to facilitate projects numbers 2015 body that deals with trade, investment networking and sharing of experience and development issues, acknowledges among regulatory agencies and other Country Projects that South Africa has the oldest and most similar organizations.” South Africa 118 developed market economy in the whole Kenya 85 of Africa for historical reasons: the market Tread carefully Morocco 71 grew out of a strong mining and industrial However, even as PPPs begin to change Egypt 59 base and the financial industry. the face of Africa, there is need for coun- Nigeria 51 However, according to Mr. Kituyi, tries to tread carefully and to learn from Ghana 40 things are now changing and other African failed PPPs when signing up for such Mozambique 29 countries are also attracting big investors. partnerships. Ethiopia 27 “It’s true South Africa has had “Ask yourselves, does the state have Côte d’Ivoire 26 a head start, but in net terms, there is the capacity to forge ahead with these Tanzania 20 faster growth in alternative centres for partnerships? This is necessary to avoid Uganda 20 both manufacturing and service delivery bad debt,” says Mr. Kituyi, adding that Other 159 than in South Africa. Today, the finan- governments should not let private Total 705 cial services industry is growing faster in companies drive the agenda. Source: fDi Markets Morocco than in South Africa,” Mr. Kituyi This word of caution is echoed by told Africa Renewal in an interview. the Brookings Institution’s Mr. Mbaku, He notes that some multinational who is advising African governments to enterprises operating out of South ensure that PPPs work to their advan- Africa have relocated substantially. “We tage: “If you have a weak or corrupt lead- BMW South Africa announces the production recently saw the opening of the Volvo ership, you may not have the power or the of its one-millionth BMW 3 Series sedan at its truck-manufacturing plant in Mombasa. skills required to negotiate a favourable manufacturing plant in Rosslyn, Pretoria in And similarly, we have seen many other partnership. You will end up with a PPP South Africa. BMW Group services, particularly IT-based services that is not really a partnership.” and telecommunications, growing in new Mr. Mbaku gives the example of oil “In South Africa you have first-world nodes like Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda.” companies that have been operating in infrastructure and third-world cost,” Mr. Africa for more than 20 years yet still Ahmed said. The company’s production Fringe benefits depend on expatriate labour instead of costs in South Africa were much lower So why should African governments employing locals. Such companies are than in Southeast Asia, the company want to encourage global companies to reluctant to transfer skills, knowledge headquarters. set up shop in their countries? and technology to the locals. Big businesses are also attracted to Driven by insufficient funds, African Another problem with PPPs is the countries where the legal system works, governments are increasingly turning imbalance of power. “If you are a govern- so they can be assured of justice should to private-sector companies for a much- ment engaged in a PPP on a development legal issues arise. South Africa’s judiciary needed boost. Foreign investments project, there is inequality in power. has been hailed for its sound judgements provide capital to finance industries, The multinational has capital, skilled and independence from political machi- boost infrastructure and productivity, manpower and [an] external market. The nations relative to other African coun- provide social amenities and create jobs, government has no power over these,” tries. all of which can help a country reach says Mr. Mbaku. Another attraction for big businesses its economic potential. And as coun- Despite the challenges, however, is human resources. The efficiency and tries rush to implement the Sustainable PPPs will continue playing a major role smooth operation of these large compa- Development Goals, funding is key. in the development of poor countries. nies depend on the calibre of its labour In Africa, governments and industry For African countries to attract multina- force. Despite many years of apartheid, are gradually forming public-private tionals and other big investors to partner according to Mr. Mbaku, South Africa partnerships (PPPs) in which compa- with, their governments need to put their provides its citizens with relatively good nies provide capital while govern- house in order—improve infrastructure, quality education the multinationals are ments ensure an environment condu- communication, security and the legal looking for in their labour force. cive to business. In the last 10 years, system, and fight corruption.

AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 7 Alternative financing strategies to boost small businesses in Africa Essential small and medium-size enterprises need funding By Franck Kuwonu

few years ago, more than half a the World Bank and others often realise manager at the Togo-based LOGOU century after the concept was that the funding available cannot meet the Concept Togo (LCT). A first proposed, the government financial needs of the SMEs. LCT manufactures a type of electric of Côte d’Ivoire completed construction “In Ghana, SMEs can safely be food mixer (the Foufou Mix) that is used of the Henri Konan Bédié Bridge, a span regarded as the backbone of the economy, in place of the traditional mortar and over the Ébrié Lagoon linking the north employing thousands of people,” Ghana’s pestle and saves women the energy used and south of Abidjan, the country’s main minister of finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, said in pounding yam for fufu, a West African city. The project became a reality after at a gathering of Ghanaian entrepreneurs staple dish. the government received development in June. “The Foufou Mix allows for quick and bank and private capital financing. SMEs represent 92% of all local busi- hygienic yam preparation in approximately Similarly, the Dakar-Diamniado nesses in Ghana, providing up to 85% of eight minutes,” the African Innovation Highway in Senegal, although a public manufacturing jobs in the country and structure, was built and is being operated contributing about 70% to the country’s PARTNERSHIPS FOR DEVELOPMENT by private companies. GDP. Increasing difficulties in obtaining In Nigeria, 37 million SMEs employ traditional financing, including bank about 60 million people and account for loans for public infrastructure such as about 48% of the country’s GDP. roads, railways and dams are forcing South Africa (the most advanced African countries to explore alternative economy south of the Sahara) is home to financing approaches. more than 2.2 million SMEs, about 1.5 Having the private sector build and million of them in the informal sector. operate infrastructure, recoup its invest- About 43% of South Africa’s SMEs operate ments and later transfer the infrastruc- in trade and accommodations, according ture to governments is one way of compen- to South Africa’s Small Enterprise sating for the shortfall in official develop- Development Agency (SEDA), which, ment assistance and banks’ reluctance to among other functions, implements the provide loans. government’s small business strategy. A 2016 SEDA report says that SMEs Economic backbone face challenges in accessing finance and Aid to the least developed countries, most markets. of which are in Africa, fell by 3.9% in 2016, Yet eight out of 10 jobs and nine out of according to the Organisation for Economic 10 of all businesses in sub-Saharan Africa Co-operation and Development, which are related to small business, according to promotes policies that improve economic UN figures. and social well-being of rich countries. At the moment, governments are Potential coming up with innovative financing strat- SMEs, especially those in the informal egies, while big corporations are relying sector, have a hard time accessing bank on investments or bank loans to grow and loans. A majority of African SMEs rely on expand their businesses. However, Africa’s personal savings or start-up capital from small and medium-size (SMEs) enter- friends and family. prises, still struggle for financing. “Even when a bank is willing to Governments that seek financing lend them some money, the collateral from private partnerships or interna- and guarantee they require and some- tional financing institutions such as the times the down payment is just too much African Development Bank (AfDB), the for a small company like us,” says Alex International Finance Corporation (IFC), Treku, the communications and projects

8 AfricaRenewal August - Noverber 2017

Foundation (AIF) said when it named LCT to markets are other challenges African be reluctant to lend to. the runner-up for the Innovation Prize for MSMEs face, but access to financing is the Last June, the AGF announced that Africa in 2014. most critical. through a partnership with the African, AIF added that “pounding of yam On the occasion of the first-ever Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, the has traditionally been done by women; MSME Day marked globally on 27 June, European Union and the UN Development this innovation provides a solution not the AfDB called for an increase in new Programme, some 5,000 SMEs in “devel- currently being contemplated by inter- and affordable financing schemes. Both opment minerals” in five countries will national manufacturers. It also opens up the AfDB and the IFC would like SMEs to have more affordable financing because of possibilities for a whole new industry for have increased access to financing. Last AGF’s $12 million credit guarantee. manufacturing of such appliances on the year the AfDB reported helping 156,000 Two years ago, the IFC and Ecobank, a continent.” SME business owners through financial pan-African commercial and investment One-third of Nigerians reportedly eat intermediaries such as commercial banks, banking group, launched a $110 million fufu, making the country of 170 million development investment and guarantee risk-sharing facility that allows Ecobank people an attractive market for the gadget. funds. That’s a good start, but hardly to lend money to SMEs operating in fragile Yet LCT is able to manufacture only about enough, experts say. and conflict-afflicted states in West and a hundred mixers a month, according to By providing coverage for risks asso- Central Africa. In addition to current Mr. Treku. The reason? “We don’t have ciated with lending to SMEs, an inter- efforts by traditional banks to lend to access to bank credit or funds to grow our mediary such as the African Guarantee SMEs, experts have urged SMEs in Africa business,” he says. LTC currently employs Fund (AGF) can provide credit guarantee to explore innovative financing, such as 19 people. facilities to financial institutions that give cooperative financing and diaspora funds. Operational capacities and access loans to enterprises they would normally The World Bank is said to be exploring other ideas like crowdfunding—an innova- tive way of financing a project by raising funds from a very large number of people— peer-to-peer lending, social impact bonds and development impact bonds. But the AfDB wants credit providers to increase lending by at least $135 billion to meet demand by African SMEs. As the overall financing gap in developing coun- tries is currently between $2.1 and $2.6 trillion, new strategies are required to finance the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. According to the World Economic Forum, “blended finance” could plug this hole. Should these funds become avail- able, the majority of SMEs still operating in the informal sector will have to “take giant steps towards formalisation in order to increase their potential for accessing formal credits,” according to a 17 March study, Financing the Growth of SMEs in Africa: What Are the Constraints to SME Financing within ECOWAS? published in the Review of Development Finance. The authors of the study maintain that policy reforms are as necessary as avail- able financing. They also suggest requiring companies to provide credit information to boost creditors’ confidence and to make sure that government-sponsored credit schemes are managed efficiently and transparently.

Chef and owner of a restaurant and catering company in Liberia. UN/ C. Herwig

AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 9 INTERVIEW

century. But let me talk about factors hindering industrialization. Long ago the Africa on the road to international development institutions wrongly prescribed deindustrialization for some countries. An ambassador of industrial progress an African country actually told me that the very painful process of deindustri- — Li Yong alization forced them to stop exporting cheese, cocoa beans and other products. Another reason is that countries change s the director general of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization policies too often. Insecurity occasioned A(UNIDO), Li Yong leads a specialised agency that promotes industrial development, by frequent changes of policies scares inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. Recently in New York, Mr. Yong took away investors and disrupts the industri- part in a special meeting on “innovation in infrastructure development and sustainable indus- alization process. trialization” in developing countries and countries with special needs. He spoke with Africa Renewal’s Kingsley Ighobor on a range of issues pertaining to Africa’s industrialization. Here Were the structural adjustment are the excerpts: programmes (SAPs) of the 1980s a wrong prescription? I do not want to talk about that because Africa Renewal: You are attending underdevelopment of the industrial I was involved in the whole process of a meeting on industrialization in sector, some countries are not growing structural adjustment lending when I developing countries, which includes fast enough. was working at the World Bank. I would many African countries. How does just say that some of the prescriptions Africa fit in the picture? What are the factors hindering provided to African countries were not Li Yong: The ECOSOC [UN’s Economic Africa’s industrialization? very good. and Social Council] meeting is impor- The sudden drop in commodity prices tant because of SDG 9, which calls for caused problems because it lowered Critics say meetings such as the one inclusive sustainable industrialization, the competitiveness of commodities- you are attending are all talk but no innovation and infrastructure. Africa dependent countries. action. What’s your take on this? has to compete within the global value I think that sometimes if there’s too much chain, the manufacturing value addition But commodity prices dropped only talk, too much debate on the theories, on and with the growth and speed of other recently. the reports and studies, action is lost. Just regions. Two-thirds of the least devel- No, not just recently. Let’s say this do it! If it’s creating jobs, let’s go for it. oped countries are in Africa. Due to has been the case throughout the last UNIDO’s Programme for Country Partnership (PCP) aims to mobilise PARTNERSHIPS FOR DEVELOPMENT private and public sector resources for industrialisation and to provide technical assistance to countries. How is that going? It’s an innovative way to support a coun- try’s industrial development. We collabo- rate with governments and development institutions to create industrial devel- opment strategies, and we support such strategies. Usually there is a financing issue: the government needs to allocate resources to basic infrastructure. But development institutions also need to provide supplementary financing for infrastructure such as roads, highways, railroads, electricity, water supply, etc. We advise governments to formulate

Li Yong, Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). Africa Renewal/Eleni Mourdoukoutas

10 AfricaRenewal August - Noverber 2017 policies that protect investments that countries that used to export cocoa beans capacity, if there are foreign investors will trigger private-sector financing and are currently producing some chocolate that come in to build factories and create FDI [foreign direct investment]. products locally. In Ghana, a private jobs, why not? company is producing cocoa butter, cocoa You were heavily involved in the oil and cocoa cake for domestic consump- Sustainable industrialization produces development of agricultural and tion. And UNIDO supported them with long-term results, I believe. Countries small and medium-size enterprises in a laboratory, equipment and technicians grappling with poverty need resources China. What lessons can Africa learn to enable them to receive certifications immediately. Such countries cannot from China? to export to Europe and Asia. Consider slow down their unsustainable exploi- There must be a vision and a strategy. Ethiopia, with 95 million people and tation of natural resources. Develop policies that support small millions of cattle and sheep and cows. I believe we should have industrial devel- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) But they only export around 7% of their opment in an inclusive, sustainable way. in the agriculture sector, to begin with. live cattle to other countries because If we manufacture goods with a heavy In China, the number one document they don’t have processing capacity. They pollution of water, soil or air, there’s a released at the beginning of the year was don’t have the standard certifications for cost to people’s health. Think about what a plan to support agriculture develop- export, although the quality of meat is it will cost to address those pollutions in ment. Second, take concrete measures. excellent. Currently we are supporting the future. At UNIDO, we do not approve We cannot talk about empty themes. Ethiopia to set up a project for testing so projects for implementation unless they Third, support with financial resources, that they meet the criteria for exporting meet our environmental standards. capacity building and training. Fourth, to other countries. Actually, African agri- provide an environment for SMEs culture can connect to the global value Are African leaders receptive to your to thrive. Lastly, link the agricultural chain. ideas? sector to agro-industry, agribusiness and Most leaders I’ve met request UNIDO’s manufacturing. Countries may set up agro-industries support. Except for countries in diffi- in areas where they have a competi- cult situations such as those in conflicts, Not long ago, a World Bank report tive advantage, but the lack of tech- others need to show a strong commit- stated that Africa’s agribusiness nical skills and inadequate infra- ment to industrialization. could be worth $1 trillion by 2030. structure, particularly roads and Could agribusiness be a game changer electricity, is still an issue. Are you seeing such commitments? for the continent? We have the traditional toolboxes, Yes, in Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Yes, although I wouldn’t say that the $1 including vocational training. Capacity Senegal, Tanzania and Zambia—many trillion figure is exactly accurate. But training is a very popular UNIDO leaders are showing a commitment. The agriculture is a very important sector programme. With donor support, we new Nigerian president is committed for Africa. The job creation element in develop training programmes like we did to industrialization. However, coun- the sector requires innovation. If you try in Tunisia and Ethiopia, where young tries in conflict, such as the Democratic to grow wheat, corn, fruits, etc without engineers received training in how to Republic of Congo [DRC], may have connecting to agro-processing food pack- operate big equipment. The second difficulties industrializing. The DRC aging and the global value chain, there is example is that countries need large- has many resources, including gold and very little opportunity for job creation. scale agro-processing projects. For oil. They have a vast land—you can grow Some people argue that if you introduce instance, Ethiopia developed hundreds of anything there—and a huge population. modern technology, some farmers may industrial parks that are helping develop But internal conflict is slowing indus- lose jobs. I don’t accept this argument the capacity to manufacture many more trialization. Yet a peaceful Rwanda is because farming services connect to the products. moving very fast with industrialization. market. With agro-processing, farmers So it depends on a country’s situation, the have more time and capacity to do things Most foreign investors target Africa’s commitments of its leadership and the beyond planting and growing crops. extractive sector, which generates few efficiency of its administrative systems. jobs. How do you encourage invest- The goal of the African Agribusiness ments in the agriculture sector? How do you see Africa in about 10 years? and Africa Development Initiative, The best approach for Africa is not to Many countries will move up the soci- which UNIDO supports, is to link say, “Don’t export raw materials.” Look oeconomic ladder and become middle- farmers to big markets. But African at Australia and other countries that income countries. There will be more farmers cannot compete in the global still export raw materials. They did their industries to manufacture goods and marketplace because many Western cost-benefits analysis and decided not to create jobs. I think it’s possible. The governments subsidize farming. set up manufacturing companies. What global community is ready to support What’s your take? is needed is market discipline. But this Africa. Most importantly, African Africa can be innovative about this. doesn’t mean that all countries must countries are committed to industrial For instance, cocoa-producing African export raw materials. If they have the progress and economic growth.

AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 11 An integrated Africa: A boon to the private sector Intra-African trade can help boost profit By Ihuoma Atanga

an developing nations thrive in a their capacity. It can do this by providing global economy without a global, physical infrastructure, competitive C collective mind-set? This is a markets, business support and financial question every developing economy must services, according to the report. ponder if it plans to have its economy Once an enabling environment is scaled up and stay up. created for public-private partnerships International organisations such as at the country level, governments should the United Nations Conference on Trade scale up further and seek bigger part- and Development (UNCTAD) and the nerships at the regional level. In the International Monetary Fund affirm that words of UN Secretary-General António for sustainable and collective growth to Guterres at the 2017 G7 Summit, held in happen in a globalized era, large African May in Taorimina, Italy, it is important economies must remove the walls sepa- to “support the continent’s aspiration to rating them from the continent’s under- achieve regional integration, including developed economies. through the free movement of people and According to UNCTAD’s 2016 report goods, and in investments in infrastruc- African Continental Free Trade Area: ture and info-structure…” He said inno- Advancing Pan-African Integration, vation was key to linking regions. regional integration is needed to further Mr. Guterres’s remarks are correct, technology and economic innovation in since African countries where multi- Africa. nationals and other big investors have PARTNERSHIPS FOR DEVELOPMENT Up until the 1980s, the public sector presence, like Ghana, Nigeria and South failed to create a sustainable upward Africa, create enterprise-friendly envi- trajectory in Africa’s economic growth. ronments. This could easily cause some conflict, as Although countries like Côte d’Ivoire, To foster intra-African trade, African “clashing regimes may conspire against Ghana and Kenya thrived in the 1960s, leaders have formed regional trade expedited clearance at the border, and government-dependent economy slowed blocs like the Economic Community often require political intervention to growth for most countries due to their of West African States (ECOWAS), resolve conflicts, reducing the benefits of limited capacity to meet consumption the Community of Sahel-Saharan automaticity (the ‘spaghetti bowl effect’).” needs and a lack of competitive markets States (CEN-SAD), the East African Other impediments to regional for goods and services. Community (EAC), the Southern African integration benefits include currency However, African leaders are now Development Community (SADC) and controls, high transport costs, nontariff throwing their nets wider and increas- the Common Market for Eastern and barriers (NTBs) and high trade costs and ingly courting entrepreneurs and the Southern Africa (COMESA). The goals of tariffs. private sector in general for partnerships these trade blocs are free trade, opportu- Some of the multinationals that have in development. They have realised that nities for economic cooperation and the benefited from regional trade blocs and sustainable economic growth on the elimination of tariffs and trade barriers. free trade areas include ShopRite, United continent cannot be achieved quickly Bank for Africa (UBA), the Dangote Group without investments from both private Challenges and Ecobank. In the case of ShopRite, and public sectors. Ongoing efforts to foster free trade Africa’s largest food retailer, free trade in According to a report by the United between the regions are laudable; southern Africa has had a major impact Nations Industrial Development however, a few challenges still linger. on the company’s profitability. The Organization (UNIDO), Capacity According to UNCTAD, most African company has expanded operations into Building for Private Sector Development countries belong to more than one neighbouring Lesotho and Zimbabwe and in Africa, the public sector needs to regional trade bloc and intergovern- is now making forays into Kenya in East encourage private-sector partnerships mental organization, some of which set Africa, and in Ghana and Nigeria in West in development projects and increase out conflicting regulations and benefits. Africa, among other areas.

12 AfricaRenewal August - Noverber 2017 deploy their business capital into those African countries in need of investment. They are proponents of intra-African trade and include financial services and investment companies, such as UBA and Heirs Holdings, the latter currently chaired by its founder Tony Elumelu, an avid believer in boosting private-sector businesses across Africa under a theory he calls “Africapitalism.” Mr. Elumelu used the phrase in 2010 to refer to the philosophy that the African private sector has the power to transform the continent through long-term invest- ments, creating both economic pros- perity and social wealth. Mr. Adegboyega Festus, who heads UBA’s business development and treasury in North America, says, “UBA’s banking innovation has greatly facili- tated regional integration, economic growth and the commercial interests of entities across Africa. The benefits include an increase in internal efficien- cies and capabilities, volume and scope of business, and overall value creation and value capture for our customers and our businesses.” Membership in regional trade blocs magnifies UBA’s role in facilitating intra- Africa trade, which has become more significant over the years as the bank’s footprint continues to grow in Africa. Despite increased revenue, NTBs Ecobank in Kumasi, Ghana. Banku continue to block smooth trade. Room for growth According to Imani Development, a South The benefits of intra-trade in these While giving a talk at Oxford University Africa-based private economic and devel- regions are evidence that trading cross- in 2015, Mr. Elumelu cited Transcorp, opment consultancy firm, ShopRite, a border has the capacity to significantly a subsidiary of Heirs Holding, as an South African retailer, spent $5.8 million boost profits. Some African governments example of how multinationals and dealing with red tape in 2009 to gain are instrumental in facilitating regional financial services can increase private- $13.6 million in duty savings under integration. and public-sector capacity. Transcorp is SADC. Nevertheless, there are benefits to The economic potential of northern investing in Nigeria’s ailing power sector, easing intra-African trade through these and western African regions is enormous, and is currently generating 20% of total regional trade blocs. and the recent Nigeria-Morocco Gas electricity output in the country. This Regional Pipeline is a harbinger of means new jobs, more access to power, Opportunities for multinationals new growth possibilities from this and an opportunity for small businesses In the West African region, billionaires type of partnership. The pipeline will to operate and grow, said Mr. Elumelu. like Tony Elumelu and Aliko Dangote directly impact over 300 million people. According to a 2017 Guardian report, have partnered with companies and According to King Mohammed VI of Transcorp plans to generate 25% of total governments within and outside the Morocco, this deal will create “a regional power capacity of the plant by 2018. ECOWAS regional trade bloc. For electricity market and be a substan- Although regional organizations example, in the construction sector, tial source of energy, which will help need to streamline trade regulations Dangote Cement has invested billions in develop industry, improve economic for regional trade to thrive, businesses the manufacturing of plants and import competitiveness and speed up social cannot grow without a strong community terminals in Cameroon, Congo, Ethiopia, development.” to trade with, hence African leaders must Senegal, South Africa and Zambia, among Some private-sector businesses in think beyond their borders. Building others. African economies constantly seek to economies of scale starts from within.

AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 13 PARTNERSHIPS FOR DEVELOPMENT

Tristate Heart and Vascular Centre in Nigeria. Tristate Heart and Vascular Centre Philanthropists join forces to fund Africa’s cash-strapped health sector Billionaires Bill Gates, Aliko Dangote come together to fund health care projects By Pavithra Rao

n the 2017 World Happiness Report such as the Democratic Republic of Congo care system, private entities and individ- by Gallup, African countries score (DRC), Madagascar and Niger, spend just uals are also increasingly making contri- I poorly. Of the 150 countries on the list, half of that per person annually. butions. For example, Africa’s richest the Central African Republic, Tanzania In 2010 only 23 countries were person, Aliko Dangote, and the world’s and Burundi rank as the unhappiest spending more than $44 per capita on second richest person, Bill Gates, have countries in the world. health care, according to the World Health formed a partnership to address some of Some of the factors driving unhappi- Organization. These countries got funding Africa’s key health needs. ness are the poor state of the continent’s from several sources, including govern- In 2014 the Nigerian-born cement health care systems, the persistence of ment, donors, employers, non-govern- magnate made global headlines HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, and mental organisations and households. after donating $1.2 billion to Dangote the growth of lifestyle diseases such as Private investment is now critical to Foundation, which used the money to hypertension, heart disease and diabetes. meet the considerable shortfall in public- buy equipment to donate to hospitals in Few African countries make signifi- sector investment, say experts. Nigeria and set up mobile clinics in Côte cant investments in the health sector— While many international organi- d’Ivoire. the median cost of health care in sub- sations, such as UNICEF and the A philanthropist himself, Mr. Gates Saharan Africa is $109 per person per International Committee of the Red wrote of Mr. Dangote in Time magazine: year, according to Gallup. Some countries, Cross, continue to support Africa’s health “I know him best as a leader constantly in

14 AfricaRenewal August - Noverber 2017 search of ways to bridge the gap between after rumours started circulating that private business and health.” the vaccines were adulterated and would The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation cause infertility and HIV/AIDS. focuses, among other projects, on strength- In 2014, during the Ebola crisis, ening Africa’s health care resources. villagers chased and stoned Red Cross According to the Gates Foundation, as workers in Womey village in Guinea, of May 2013 it had earmarked $9 billion accusing them of bringing “a strange to fight diseases in Africa over 15 years. disease”. In 2016 the foundation pledged to give The big players may be Mr. Dangote and an additional $5 billion over a five-year Mr. Gates, but others less well known are period, two-thirds to be used to fight HIV/ also making important contributions to AIDS on the continent. Africa’s health care. After the 2014 Ebola While acknowledging the Gates’ gener- outbreak in West Africa, for example, osity, locals noted that for many years the which resulted in the loss of about 11,300 Foundation had invested in the oil compa- lives, private companies in the three most nies that have contributed in making The Foundations had already signed affected countries—Guinea, Liberia and health outcomes extremely poor in some a deal to work together to foster immu- Sierra Leone—partnered with the govern- areas of Nigeria. These companies include nization programmes in three northern ment to fight the virus. Eni, Royal Dutch Shell, ExxonMobil, states: Kaduna, Kano and Sokoto. The Sierra Leone Brewery, for Chevron and Total. The Gates Foundation states on its example, helped in constructing facilities Facing a backlash, the Gates website, “Contributions towards the for Ebola treatment. Individuals, such Foundation sold off some 87% of its costs of the program by the Bill & Melinda as Patrick Lansana, a Sierra Leonean investments in major coal, oil and gas Gates Foundation, Dangote Foundation, communications expert, also volun- companies, leaving approximately $200 and state governments will be staggered teered their services for the Ebola fight. million in these stocks as of 2016. Groups across three years: 30% in year one, 50% He said: “I joined the fight against Ebola such as Leave It in the Ground, a non- in year two, and 70% in year three, with because I wanted to help my country. My profit organization advocating for a the respective states taking progressive efforts, and those of others, made a differ- global moratorium on fossil exploration, responsibility for financing immuniza- ence. It would have been difficult for the are pushing for divestment. tion services.” government and international partners to “The link between saving lives, a The future of about 44% of Nigeria’s combat the virus alone.” lower birth rate and ending poverty was 170 million people would be “greatly the most important early lesson Melinda damaged if we don’t solve malnutri- Public-private partnerships and I learned about global health,” said tion,” said Mr. Gates, at a meeting with Private and public sectors need to collab- Mr. Gates recently. The Gates Foundation President Muhammadu Buhari. orate to help Africa’s health care system supports reducing childhood mortality Despite the many international from collapse, notes a report by UK-based by supplying hospitals with necessary and local efforts, cultural and religious PricewaterHouseCoopers consultancy Billionaires Bill Gates, Aliko Dangote come together to fund health care projects equipment and hiring qualified local factors often impede efforts to address firm. The report states that public- practitioners to take care of patients and Africa’s weak health infrastructure. For private partnerships, or PPPs, when fully their children. example, in 2007, religious leaders in synergised can bring about quality health northern Nigeria organized against aid care. Under a PPP in the health sector, for Dangote-Gates collaboration workers administering polio vaccinations example, a government can contribute by In 2016, the Dangote Foundation and the providing the health care infrastructure, Gates Foundation formed a philanthropic while private entities can be involved in dream team when they announced a the operations. $100 million plan to fight malnutrition In a widely published joint opinion in Nigeria. The new scheme will fund piece last April, Mr. Dangote and Mr. programmes to 2020 and beyond, using Gates stated that improving health care in local groups in the northwest and north- Africa depends on a “successful partner- east Nigeria. The northeast has for the ship between government, communities, past seven years been ravaged by the religious and business leaders, volunteers, Boko Haram’s Islamic militant insur- and NGOs. This ensures that everyone is gency, affecting all health care projects rowing in the same direction.” in the region. Malnutrition affects 11 million (Top) Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda children in northern Nigeria alone, and Gates Foundation and (bottom) Aliko Dangote, Mr. Dangote said the partnership would Founder and Chief Executive of the Dangote address the problem. Group. UN Photos

AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 15 PARTNERSHIPS FOR DEVELOPMENT

Henri Konan Bédié Bridge linking the north and south of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Bouygues Construction Partnerships at work in Africa SDGs envisage that PPPs can promote sustainable development in Africa By Joyce Mulama

he construction of a liquefied natural gas meet the growing demand, which the National Energy terminal in Ghana to support power genera- Policy of 2010 estimated would be about 5,000 mega- T tion in the Kpone Power Enclave in the port watts by 2016. city of Tema, near Accra, is reawakening hopes of an “We hope the project will address the dumsor once end to the energy crisis that has plagued the country and for all,” says Nancy Osabutey, a resident of Accra. in recent years. Dumsor (“on-off”) is a Ghanaian term commonly used Power outages have led to a rationing schedule that to describe the erratic power availability in the country. involves cutting power for 24 hours every two days. A recent report by the Institute of Statistical, Social $100bn Businesses have been forced to connect standby power and Economic Research, a Ghanaian-based think tank, is needed sources such as generators, incurring extra costs. Some estimates that the economy has lost $24 billion as a per year have had to lay off workers. result of the energy crisis since 2010. The $600 million project, being implemented under Like many African countries, Ghana is facing an for Africa’s a public-private partnership (PPP) between Quantum infrastructure financing gap. Policy makers are starting infrastructure Power Ghana Gas and the Ghana National Petroleum to realise that PPPs can help fill such gaps. investment. Corporation, is expected to provide the West African “Africa has been growing over the last few years. It nation with a reliable and efficient power supply. will be challenging to achieve economic growth without The plant will add about 220 megawatts of elec- addressing the huge infrastructure financing and tricity to Ghana’s national grid. The country now has access gap in energy generation and transmission, roads 2,900 megawatts of generation capacity, not enough to and ports,” says Tilahun Temesgen, the chief regional

16 AfricaRenewal August - Noverber 2017 bridge in the capital, Abidjan, is considered in the initial stages of PPP implementa- one of the most successful PPP-funded tion “because their use of PPP schemes is projects in the post-conflict country. still uncommon and PPPs are complex to The $265 million bridge, opened in implement.” 2014, connects two of Abidjan’s major The report indicates that PPPs have districts—Riviera in the north and Marcory historically been scarcer in sub-Saharan in the south—and has done away with over Africa than in the rest of the world. 10 kilometres of traffic congestion. About a Telecoms transactions account form the hundred thousand vehicles use the bridge bulk of PPPs on the continent, but energy each day. PPPs have recently started growing signifi- “This facility enables us to enjoy the cantly. benefits of better traffic conditions. We “PPPs are not easy. They need a number now take less time in traffic, meaning more of issues to be successful. Above all, a stable time for productivity at work. A while ago macroeconomic environment is neces- we would spend more than three hours in sary,” explains Mr. Temesgen. traffic,” says Abraham Kone, a resident of However, an environment character- Abidjan. ised by inadequate regulatory frameworks, The bridge has also opened up the neigh- unclear rules and procedures and lack of bouring hinterland, simplifying freight political commitment inhibits growth of transportation to the Port of Abidjan, the PPPs. largest port on Africa’s west coast. Public-private partnership is also Uganda PPPs diversifying the country’s energy sector. Uganda is one of the countries with a solid The expansion of the Azito thermal energy PPP programme. According to the AfDB plant involving the construction of two document, this is the result of many factors, 144-megawatt power plants will save $4 including support from the presidency million in energy costs each year and will and the ministry of finance, an earlier Henri Konan Bédié Bridge linking the north and south of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Bouygues Construction enable Côte d’Ivoire to move from being successful privatisation programme and a a net importer of electricity to being a net well-designed framework. economist at the Eastern Africa Resource exporter. At a meeting in South Korea last Centre of the African Development Bank With the expansion, the energy plant, November, Ajedra Gabriel Gadison Aridru, (AfDB). located six kilometres west of the port of Uganda’s state minister for finance, The AfDB maintains that the conti- Abidjan, is producing over 30% of elec- planning and economic development, nent needs about $100 billion per year for tricity generated in Côte d’Ivoire, with cited the PPP Act enacted in 2015 as a infrastructure investment, yet the total some of it going to neighbouring countries, major enabler of the country’s PPPs. The spending on infrastructure by African including Ghana. law spells out the specific engagements of countries is just about half that, leaving a Partnering with the private sector to private partners in such partnerships. It financing gap of about $50 billion. promote sustainable development is some- also regulates the roles and responsibilities “This difference should come from thing the government is talking a lot about. of government bodies during the develop- somewhere. Tapping into private-sector According to Albert Toikeusse Mabri ment and implementation of PPP projects. investment by unleashing the potential of Abdallah, the Ivorian minister for planning Concerns have been raised about severe PPPs is one innovative way of attracting and development, “Public-private partner- environmental hazards following PPPs. financing for infrastructure in Africa, ship is in line with Côte d’Ivoire’s National Ghana Gas Company, for example, has as this has a very high development and Development Plan, which outlines building been accused of failing to act as areas such poverty reduction impact in Africa,” states and renovating the country’s infrastruc- as Atuabo, in western Ghana, continue to Mr. Temesgen. ture to accelerate development.” The suffer the effects of oil and gas exploration He adds, “Governments and devel- minister adds that “such collaboration will that have led to widespread air and water opment partners cannot fully close the also ensure job creation and poverty alle- pollution. current huge infrastructure financing gap. viation.” Because of concerns like this, govern- It is therefore vital to mobilise private- The Sustainable Development Goals ments are being urged to disclose informa- sector financing to support infrastructure (SDGs) envisage that PPPs can promote tion on risk assessments, including poten- developments.” sustainable development in Africa. A key tial environmental and social impacts, of Private-sector financing is succeeding priority of the UN-founded SDG Fund is to such mega-projects. Institutions such as in different parts of the continent, just bring together public and private entities the Bretton Woods Project would like to as it soon may in Ghana through the to jointly address development challenges. see more informed consultations, broader Kpone power plant. However, many African countries, civil society involvement and closer moni- In Côte d’Ivoire, the Henri Konan Bédié according to an AfDB report, are still toring of PPPs by all stakeholders.

AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 17 INTERVIEW

The UN Private Sector Forum 2017 Private sector’s role in in September will focus on the role of the private sector in implementing SDGs. What do you think is the role implementing SDGs of the private sector in attaining the SDGs? The private sector has the power of UN Global Compact: Building networks with innovation and ability to create many public-private partnerships worldwide of the solutions needed to address the challenges the world is facing today. However, with less than 5,000 days left he UN Private Sector Forum 2017, to be held in New York this September, will bring to meet the SDGs, we need to mobilize Ttogether corporate CEOs, captains of industry, heads of state and government, UN offi- businesses to scale up their impacts cials and civil society to explore partnerships and other ways the private sector can finance significantly. We need many more SDGs. Africa Renewal reached out to Lise Kingo, the executive director of the UN Global companies to accelerate their invest- Compact (which is mobilizing a global movement of sustainable companies) to discuss the ments and business activities to deliver role of public-private partnerships in Africa. on the global goals.

Africa Renewal: A successful sustain- able development agenda requires PARTNERSHIPS FOR DEVELOPMENT partnerships between governments, the private sector, civil society and others, built on set principles and values. What is the role of the UN Global Compact in driving this agenda? Ms. Kingo: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is truly trans- formational and unifying, as it provides us with a blueprint and an action plan for a better world. No single sector will be able to deliver on the SDGs alone, and the private sector shares many of the same interests and goals as governments in terms of creating more resilient and prosperous societies and markets, since business also needs stable societies in order to thrive.

How does your organisation come in? At the UN Global Compact we want to create a global movement for sustain- able companies and stakeholders. Our starting point is to ensure that all our 9,000 business signatories adopt and integrate our ten principles—in the areas of human rights, labour, environment, and anticorruption—into their strate- gies and operations. And through our ‘Making Global Goals Local Business’ campaign we are pushing to activate business to deliver accelerated impact on the SDGs through areas such as breakthrough innovation, new business models and partnerships.

18 AfricaRenewal August - Noverber 2017 This year’s UN Private Sector Forum will address a key driver for sustain- There is an untapped innovation able development—financing for the SDGs. New financial instruments and marketplace in Africa with sustainable products that combine development aid with public and private investments can local-level solutions already addressing eliminate some of the risks associated many of the social and infrastructural with private investments with a long- term return. needs.

African governments are aggres- new transportation infrastructure in needs and creating an enabling environ- sively pursuing partnerships with Ethiopia, Tanzania and Nigeria, linking ment for private-sector development, the private sector for collaborations millions of people in cities and providing awareness-raising of responsible business in various projects, the so-called cleaner and more energy-efficient means practices and consensus building public-private partnerships (PPPs). of transport. However, without targeted through key governmental and institu- What does the continent stand to incentives and objectives for connec- tional partnerships. gain from these partnerships and tivity outside of urban centres, those This Africa Strategy was a first step. what are the possible challenges or in rural regions—particularly women, We acknowledge that we need to do risks that governments should be girls and the elderly—can get left behind, more on the continent, particularly in cautious about? thereby increasing economic inequality terms of building the capacity of our Public-private partnerships have the and social exclusion within countries local networks there and their ability to capacity to promote and spur innova- while further contributing to overpopu- meet the ambitious goals set forth in the tion and leverage new technologies that lation in urban areas. 2030 Agenda and the African Union’s can then be scaled up or replicated for Agenda 2063. wider impact. For instance, the mobile How can Africa overcome this? telecommunications industry in Africa There is a need to leverage local What are you working on in Africa has shown some great examples not only innovation and insights for public- currently? of innovation for development through private partnerships. Many of the part- We are building strong institution- mobile cash transfers and the use of nerships we are seeing in Africa now alized Global Compact local networks mobile technology to advance health involve large national or multinational in Africa to fully support local busi- and education, but also of partnerships firms undertaking costly large-scale nesses and subsidiaries of multinational with governments to widen the scale of projects. However, there is an untapped corporations that contribute to the 2030 these efforts and then replicating these innovation marketplace in Africa with Agenda. models in other African countries. sustainable local-level solutions already In September we will be launching a addressing many of the social and infra- local network in the Democratic Republic How so? structural needs that require the right of Congo, which will be our 11th network By 2030, about 60% of people partner to scale up. in Africa. The others are in Egypt, Kenya, in Africa will be living in cities, with Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, numbers as high as 80% in some Going forward, what will be the main Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda. countries. This rapid urbanization is focus of the UN Global Compact in As we grow our presence in the region, an excellent opportunity for public- Africa? there is new untapped potential in our private partnerships to direct invest- We launched our Africa Strategy in ability to identify cross-border linkages ment towards creating more sustainable 2014 that emphasized the role of the private among networks and companies within cities, new employment opportunities sector in meeting Africa’s infrastructure Africa. through innovation, entrepreneurship, and improved health and sanitation systems.

Do you have an example? For example, over the past decade, public-private partnerships have led to

Lise Kingo (centre), Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact at the UN Global Compact Board Meeting in New York, USA. UN Global Compact

AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 19 TRANSPORT Africa’s app-based taxis battle Uber over local market share Local techies are tailoring products and services to suit customers in cities By Eleni Mourdoukoutas

Africab service in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Africab

ntil recently, public transportation in Cairo, And the result is that Africa’s local tech companies Freetown, Lagos, Nairobi and many other are creating their own apps that provide different UAfrican cities was chaotic and accident prone. types of services to aid transportation. The mostly unreliable local taxicabs did not alleviate And with Africa’s growing technical knowhow, the situation. But Uber’s entry into the continent local tech companies are producing products and could be changing the narrative. services tailored to suit customers in different coun- 60,000 Uber, the global ride-sharing company that relies tries or even different cities, giving themselves an drivers are on smartphone technology for dispatch and fee edge over foreign services. operating for payment, has become the most recognized alter- native to traditional taxicabs. Many prefer Uber, Localizing technology Uber in 15 launched in the US in 2009, because of its fair prices, For example, the Kenya-based Little Cab, an app-based major African quality standards and convenience. The concept has ride-sharing service launched in 2016 by the mobile cities in Egypt, spread globally. phone operator Safaricom, operates just like Uber, Ghana, Kenya, By last June, Uber was operating in 15 major except that it accepts the local cashless mobile payment Morocco, African cities, with some 60,000 drivers in Egypt, system, MPesa, unlike Uber. Uber, however, pays no Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, parking or other city charges, hence charges less. South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. Still, 94% of Kenyans prefer MPesa to other Tanzania and Uber’s ambition is to dominate the transporta- forms of payments. According to Safaricom’s 2016 tion sector in Africa, but it faces stiff competition annual report, Little Cab has been able to slow Uber’s Uganda. from local companies. Unintentionally, Uber trig- attempt at grabbing a huge chunk of the market. gered the spread of mobile and mapping technology In South Africa, the locally based Africa Ride, for collecting geospatial data from a mobile vehicle. which offers a variety of payment options including

20 AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 weekly and monthly payment plans and provides information for those planning fares,” Tony Oyesoya, a taxi driver in accepts payment via mobile wallet apps, journeys, including timetables, traffic Lagos, Nigeria, told Africa Renewal in an is gaining popularity with the citizens. incidents and places of interest. The interview. The company operates in Cape Town, scheme is expected to expand to six Mr. Oyesoya said while Uber may Johannesburg and Rustenburg—three other South African cities during 2017: charge less, the company often hikes its of South Africa’s largest cities—and Bloemfontein, East London, Durban, fares as soon as there is traffic conges- allows individuals, corporations, non- Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg and Tshwane. tion. He added that taxi unions in Lagos governmental organizations and govern- are thinking of taking up the issue with ment departments to set up their own Mapping out cities government. accounts. In a related development, the Digital Like their counterparts in Nigeria, Uber, however, appears determined Matatus Project, an initiative of the South African drivers are unhappy with to beat back local competition, and is US-based development design firm, what they see as Uber’s anti-competitive partnering with indigenous companies to Groupshot, and researchers at Columbia behavior. In March, taxi drivers in South broaden its appeal. In Nigeria, Uber has University and Massachusetts Institute Africa mounted a protest against the teamed up with the payment platform of Technology (MIT) together with their company by blocking airport roads, while Paga, allowing users to pay for services local partner, University of Nairobi, Uber drivers in Kenya have been attacked through its mobile money app. Paga also successfully assembled a database of and their cars set on fire. The South facilitates payments via local debit cards various routes for the thousands of mini- Africa Meter Taxi Association responded and cash for its 6.4 million users. buses (matatus) in Nairobi, using smart- earlier this year by developing its own “Partnering with Paga enables more phones and GPS units. app, Yookoo Ride, designed to connect Nigerians to access the Uber platform, The compilation was released in passengers to metered taxi drivers. many of whom are not yet comfortable 2014 as an intricate map, which has been Many African governments seem using their debit or credit cards,” said adopted by local app builders and mobile to have been surprised by this develop- Ebi Atawodi, general manager of Uber developers. Participating ride-sharing ment in the transportation sector and Nigeria. platforms allow patrons to access the are rushing to put regulatory policies in Digital Matatus map via text message. place. Last year, Ghana became the first Healthy competition The project has been praised for helping country in Africa to have a Standard of In total, Africa hosts nearly sixty ride- to improve Nairobi’s public transporta- Understanding (SOU) signed between its sharing services across 21 countries. Some services have tried to adapt to local socioeconomic realities, though they have not always succeeded. For example, Uber’s unique model, transportation the Nairobi-based Bodapp, launched in 2016, shut down its (boda bodas) motor- married with technology, has sparked cycle taxi and cab service after only two imagination and inspired innovative months. The company said it decided to concentrate on its core logistics business initiatives in Africa at a time when competition in the cab sector was growing. Still, in the face of competition, many tion system, which runs without estab- Ministry of Transport and Uber. The SOU African transportation companies have lished schedules or strict routes. provides holistic guidelines for taxi oper- begun offering various forms of incen- Although the concept of ride-sharing ations, and encourages the use of tech- tives to drivers and passengers in a bid is not entirely new to Africa as it has been nology but regulates it for riders, drivers to stay afloat. Reacting to complaints of present in the form of traditional modes and companies. short changing by Uber drivers in South of transportation such as minibuses, Despite such efforts to regulate Africa, Africa Ride announced its more bush taxis and shared cars, it is Uber’s growth in the transportation sector, than 500 drivers would be given a larger unique model, transportation married innovative approaches will increase, stake in the business. with technology, that has sparked imag- industry experts predict, especially with “Our drivers own the business with ination and inspired innovative initia- the potential increase in smartphone us. We have put all the drivers in a trust tives in Africa. penetration in Africa. and the trust owns a certain percentage While Uber may be leading the charge of the business,” Africa Ride founder Challenges in Africa, indigenous tech-based trans- Thabo Mashale told Disrupt Africa, an Traditional taxi drivers are not happy portation companies with better under- outlet for tech start-up news. about the tech-assisted ride-sharing standing of local socioeconomic situa- In 2017, South Africa–based startup movement, as they fear losing their jobs tions could still hold on to their niche WhereIsMyTransport launched its or incomes. “Uber is destroying taxi work in the highly competitive transportation Transport for Cape Town app, which in Nigeria because they charge cheaper sector.

AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 21 INTERVIEW Increased remittances will have greater impact on development —Gilbert Houngbo

igrants sent around $450 billion in remittances to developing countries in 2015, M40% of which went to rural areas. On 16 June, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the UN agency tasked with eradicating poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries, celebrated the International Day of Family Remittances to draw attention to how the money migrants send home contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Africa Renewal’s Franck Kuwonu talked to the president of IFAD, Gilbert Houngbo, about the impact remittances are having in receiving coun- tries. The following are excerpts from the interview:

Africa Renewal: Global remit- tances increased 51% over the last We are expecting $454 billion of decade. Yet you are saying that those numbers do not tell the whole story. transfers in 2017, but what is important is Why? Gilbert Houngbo: I believe we are not to look at remittances only in terms expecting $454 billion of transfers in of billions of dollars, but in terms of the 2017, but what is important is not the 50% to 51% growth of today. The point is impact the billions of dollars are having not to look at remittances only in terms daily on the life of the recipients. of billions of dollars, but in terms of the impact the billions of dollars are having daily on the lives of the recipients. The So far, remittances are for helping or national level, and not just on the billions of dollars transferred are more families back home send their level of family? than the amount of FDI [foreign direct children to school, pay for health Of course, we don’t have a solution investment] and ODA [official develop- care and buy food. What else can this that fixes all, let us be clear on that, but ment assistance] in most of the countries. money do? there are several options. If the transfers So, we should stop seeing it as just a Financing a small solar energy system are to remain at the family level, I don’t money transfer. It is a real contribution would give a brother or sister some think there are a lot of things they can to development. income-generating activity. In rural change. communities, that money could help the However, we have started working in But don’t bigger amounts mean young man or woman rent a tractor, so several receiving countries on what we bigger impacts? Shouldn’t robust he or she could go and work on a farm. call “the village savings and loan asso- growth matter? That money would not just help an indi- ciations”. Members of these associations Of course, it does. We want to keep it vidual but would enrich the community. will pool their savings together and then growing, but let us not make the mistake Farmers’ associations could get a small, lend them back to finance productive of keeping it growing just for the sake of cheap or basic irrigation system that activities in their communities. it. Let us not sit back and say, “So much would allow them to be less dependent on At the national level, one of the chal- is being transferred, hence the work subsistence agriculture. lenges that we still have is the cost of is done.” The end result has to be the transfers. While it has decreased from impact and not the input. There must be How then do we make the impact of 10% to 7.5%, our report estimates that an impact on development. remittances felt at the community if it goes further down to 3%, this will

22 AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 Partnerships giving Africa a new... from page 3

Trade and Development, the UN body that deals with trade, investment and development issues, is advising govern- ments to avoid bad debt by engaging experts with the necessary skills to nego- tiate favourable partnerships. The Brooking Institution’s John Mbaku, also a Professor of economics at Weber State University in the US, agrees with Mr. Kituyi on the need for African governments to ensure that PPPs work to the countries’ advantage. Potential negative impacts include ballooning debts and environmental damages. The UK-based Bretton Woods Project, an institutional watchdog of World Bank and IMF policies, stresses the need for African countries to ascertain the true costs and benefits of PPPs over the lifetime of a PPP project. Governments should disclose information on risk Gilbert Houngbo, President of the International billions of dollars, it is also a matter of assessments of such megaprojects, Fund for Agricultural Development. AR/EM billions of lives. Secondly, it is necessary including potential environmental and to continue advocating for the reduc- social impacts. amount to about $20 or $40 billion that tion of money transfer costs. Thirdly, we For partnerships to work well there can be released back to beneficiaries. would like to work with the receiving is a need for more informed consulta- Governments can also help by trying to countries to move away from overcon- tions, broader civil society involvement see how they can reduce the overall cost sumption patterns into a more produc- and closer monitoring of projects by all of transfers. tive use of their remittances. stakeholders.

Your report says that remittances don’t impact only the receiving coun- tries but also the global economic Partnerships provide a lifeline... five key factors that led to the success and political landscape. How? from page 5 of Senegal’s Dakar-Diamniadio road. First, we note that 85% of a migrant’s The first was political commitment. earnings are spent in the countries President Macky Sall was the first driver where they live, as they do not qualify for government’s goal is to execute up to 80% on the road and the first to pay a toll. The the social security of the host country. of its projects through PPP financing by second was stakeholder engagement, Second, we must also recognize that 2030. including outreach to communities. when $500 billion is flowing to devel- Among other incentives, Tanzania’s The third factor was the commitment oping countries, that constitutes a Finance Act 2014 allows the private sector of the private partner, the Eiffage Group, major contribution to what I call “global to make PPP proposals that circumvent a French company. The fourth was the financing for development.” competitive tender processes, allowing involvement of development institu- investors to engage with partners of tions, including the AfDB and the World This report is the most comprehen- their choice. Bank. Lastly, Mr. Carter mentioned sive over the last decade. What do The Moroccan parliament in that commuters could see “clear, visible you want to do with its findings? December 2014 passed a new PPP law benefits,” including shorter commutes. What is next for IFAD? that permits private investors to lead in Despite the many problems associ- First, we want to make the case that the planning, financing and execution of ated with PPPs, the potential benefits migrants should not be considered a public projects, although public interest are tantalizing for many countries. source of problems in host countries. In could prompt the state to abort a project. Countries still in search of the right fact, they are positively impacting other In an article published on the World PPPs recipe may want to study Senegal’s peoples’ lives. It is not just a matter of Bank’s website, Laurence Carter lists model.

AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 23 AVIATION African airlines wait for open skies African airlines must solve problems on their way to profitability By Franck Kuwonu

Travellers boarding a Kulula.com jet, South Africa’s first budget airline, at Durban International Airport. AMO/David Larsen

ince relocating to the Democratic the most part no longer necessary, still, Just over “10 million seats were offered Republic of the Congo (DRC) two as Mr. Agossou has discovered, choices in 2001,” says Heinrich Bofinger, senior Syears ago, Firmin Agossou has had remain constrained by sub-optimal travel transport economist at the World Bank. a variety of options when traveling home conditions including long layovers, rela- “That capacity more than doubled to 22.7 to Benin. Employed in the eastern city tively high fares, uncertain flight schedules million in 2015.” of Goma, he often returns to Cotonou to and poor quality of services, underscoring Experts say air traffic on the continent spend time with his family. the challenges facing air carriers trying to will grow by an annual average of 5.1% The quickest way would be by car from attract passengers and at the same time in the next 18 years, outpacing the global Goma to Kigali and from there take a five- make profits. projected average of 4.7%, according to hour direct flight by RwandAir to Benin, The African Union and the IATA. Mr. Agossou told Africa Renewal. International Air Transport Association Yet while more flights are linking big Or he could fly out of Goma to (IATA) are urging countries to open their cities than they did are decade ago, most Kinshasa and then fly home aboard ASKY, skies to market competition. African airlines based in sub-Saharan Africa are a West African airline with an active hub airlines executives are pushing back losing money due to stiff competition from in Lomé, Togo. There is also the option of against what they are calling government Gulf, Turkish and European carriers on flying through Addis Ababa. But when it intrusions, red tape, high taxes and polit- transcontinental routes. comes right down to it, the best choice for ical meddling. Of Africa’s big three carriers, only Mr. Agossou is to fly out of Kigali or risk Ethiopian Airlines posted a profit last getting stranded in Lomé should he miss a Indebted growth year. Kenya Airways and South African connecting flight. Last year Ethiopian Airways, Kenya Airways suffered losses. Collectively, “Flying out of Kigali is the most Airways and South African Airways, three African airlines posted losses of around convenient option. It’s simple and no top airlines on the continent, sold two- $700 million in 2015 and $800 million in hassle,” he says. thirds of the estimated 9.2 million seats 2016, and aviation experts at IATA and the Thousands of air travellers like Mr. purchased for travel within sub-Saharan African Airlines Association (AFRAA) say Agossou face complicated choices when Africa. The remaining one-third was this trend may continue. flying between cities across the continent. spread among more than a dozen smaller To make the air travel industry profit- Although transiting through Europe when carriers such as Nigeria-based Arik Air, Air able, African countries need to liberalize flying between two African cities is for Mauritius, and RwandAir. air traffic, according to IATA and the

24 AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 African Union. As far back as 1999, 44 The renewed push to implement the thrived, with multilegged connections countries agreed in Yamoussoukro, Côte Yamoussoukro Decision is expected to having increased significantly. d’Ivoire (the Yamoussoukro Decision) usher in the Single African Air Transport But even if the African skies were to deregulate air services and promote Market (SAATM) in January 2018, with suddenly opened, industry experts believe the opening of regional air markets to 40 countries expected to be signatories it will not be enough to ensure sustain- transnational competition. Since then, by then. So far 20 African countries out ability. Other challenges will have to be however, implementation has been slow of 54, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria addressed, such as poor infrastructure, and inconsistent. Industry experts often and South Africa, are committed to high costs of operation and a lack of coop- criticise African countries for having implementing the policy. eration between airlines. more bilateral open sky agreements with “How can we liberalize airlines when we partners outside the continent than with Freedom flights are overtaxing them?” Elijah Chingosho, African partners. Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways the secretary general and chief executive As demand for air travel grows, coun- and others have taken advantage of the officer of the African Airlines Association tries are rushing to launch or revive Yamoussoukro accord by aggressively (AFRAA), asked at the Aviation Africa national carriers. “Countries often want promoting Fifth Freedom Flights in sub- conference in Kigali in February. to have their own carrier as a matter of Saharan Africa, providing a persuasive Overall, AFRAA noted, airport national pride,” Mr. Bofinger observed. argument for liberalisation. passenger charges in Africa are two to five However, African aviation history shows Fifth Freedom Flights “allow the times higher than the global $25 average. that state-owned carriers are hardly capacity of an aircraft to be spread amongst Reportedly, fuel is also 2.5 times more commercially sustainable. multiple international destinations on one expensive in Africa than in other regions. Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal are marketed flight,” Mr. Bofinger noted in “If [governments] reduce charges struggling to establish viable national a 2017 study for the World Bank and the and taxes, it brings more prosperity, jobs, carriers. Undaunted by past experiences, United Nations University. GDP and trade that overcompensate for some of these countries are dusting off Mr. Bofinger explained to Africa the reduction in charges,” Mr. de Juniac old plans. And now a rising middle class Renewal that Fifth Freedom Flights “allow, emphasized. and new economic opportunities are for example, a flight to originate out of And Girma Wake, the RwandAir CEO reawakening national aviation dreams. Addis Ababa, land in Nairobi, Kenya, drop (who is the former CEO of Ethiopian Côte d’Ivoire, where the Yamoussoukro off and pick up passengers, continue on Airlines) said in March that governments Decision was reached, has relaunched its to Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to drop off “should stop interfering in the airlines’ own airline to serve destinations in West passengers destined there, and move on to performance.” Africa. Uganda is mulling over the idea Dar es Salaam.” Politically motivated appointments of establishing its own airline, as neigh- Mr. Agossou also noted that RwandAir at management levels at the expense of bouring Tanzania Air is trying to survive already uses this arrangement. proven competence, a recurrent problem the tough times. According to Mr. Bofinger, success in for state-owned enterprises, also plagues IATA has warned that protecting implementation can be measured by the most national airlines. However, the most small, fragmented and closed markets number of international airport connec- decried government move, which has could end up hampering the development tions served by multi-stop flights, adding the effect of skewing competition, is the of air services by limiting their potential to that services in sub-Saharan Africa have regular infusing of public money to keep contribute to development and economic ailing airlines afloat. growth. At the same time, experts are In November 2016, AFRAA declared urging African countries to create more BY THE NUMBERS Ethiopian Airlines the best in Africa for the airlines, especially low-cost carriers, to fifth consecutive time, recognising, in part, serve the continent’s internal air transport its “exemplary” cooperation with other needs. Were African airspaces to be fully $800 African carriers. To some, the airline’s liberalized, there would be better services, million loss in 2016 successes appear to be showing the way cheaper fares to stimulate additional forward for the industry on the continent. traffic and greater trade flows, an IATA While wholly owned by the government, study found in 2014. 20 the airline has an independent manage- “Opening borders, lowering barriers countries committed so far to the ment team. It has embarked on an ambi- and implementing the open skies agree- Single African Air Transport Market tious development programme, which ment is always favourable to the industry,” includes promoting travel hubs in East and Alexandre de Juniac, IATA director general West Africa with regional partners. and CEO, told Aviation & Allied Business 5.1% Other airlines such as ASKY and Business Journal, a magazine that focuses projected annual traffic growth RwandAir are following suit, indicating on African airlines news. “There will be that, with open skies and fair competition, winners and losers, but it will be favourable African airlines can successfully find their because it will boost their traffic.” way to profitability.

AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 25 switching political parties at the last minute. Ms. Ekwunife’s experience is not unique among women political hopefuls in Africa. For example, just two days after activist Diane Shima Rwigara declared her intention to run for the presidency in Rwanda’s general election in August this year, social media was awash with purported nude pictures of her. Her candi- dacy was disqualified by election officials. In neighbouring Uganda, a member of the opposition Zainab Fatuma Naigaga and some male colleagues were arrested on their way to a political rally in October 2015. But it was only Ms. Naigaga who was stripped naked by abusive police officers, while the men were left alone. In Kenya, MP Millie Odhiambo Mabona was analysing the country’s Launch of the African Women Leaders Network in New York. UN Photos Security Laws (Amendment) Bill 2014 in Parliament when a commotion on the GENDER floor degenerated into a free-for-all brawl. Ms. Mabona says she was assaulted by two pro-government MPs. “That day I was More women in politics in a dress and these men kept pulling it up while I pulled it down. They went ahead Still a man’s business despite notable successes and tore my panties,” Ms. Mabona told Africa Renewal in an interview. By Kwamboka Oyaro One of the accused male MPs was quoted in the local dailies, saying, “I nce in a while, Africa produces Propositions from senior male office slapped her because she wanted to assault talented women politicians who, holders as a precondition for entry into the deputy speaker. That was great disre- Odespite the odds, overcome the the field are unacceptable, says former spect.” The MPs later passed the bill on obstacles that impede their success in the Nigerian senator Uche Lilian Ekwunife. security laws. political arena. She adds that this is a tactic men have Some of the African women who used for years to discourage women from Fighting back have shattered the glass ceiling include entering the political fray. Women facing sexual harassment must Liberia’s president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; Ms. Ekwunife recollects her 2011 call the men’s bluff, says Ms. Mabona. “If former president of Malawi, Joyce Banda; re-election campaign for Nigeria’s House they threaten me with exposing my sexual Mauritius’s president, Ameenah Gurib- of Representatives, when her opponent encounters, I tell them I would also expose Fakim; and former interim president of superimposed her head on a naked body those that I went out with.” Ms. Ekwunife, the Central African Republic, Catherine and sent the picture to YouTube “just to taking a different tack, says “women need Samba-Panza. demean my person.” Luckily, that childish to focus and ignore these distractions.” For most African women, however, the slur backfired, and Ms. Ekwunife easily Besides issues relating to their bodies political terrain is too rough to navigate. won the election to the legislative body. and their private lives, African female Few make the journey, perceiving that Four years later, when she sought politicians, most of the time, begin their their male colleagues would try to under- election to the senate in 2015, her experi- career in politics later in life, and start mine them. ence was less pleasant. Although she was from a position of disadvantage of having In their effort to take up leadership re-elected to become one of six women out to balance family and work. They also tend positions, qualified African women can of the 109 senators in Nigeria’s upper law- to have less money than their male coun- expect to confront gender-based attacks, making body, her political journey was terparts to spend on campaign expenses. including being labelled “prostitutes” short. The courts nullified her election Shauna Shames of New Jersey’s or “concubines”. Sometimes they are after she had been in the senate only six Rutgers University-Camden, writing sexually harassed, and they often contend months. She believes that her election’s about “Barriers and solutions to increasing with men seeking sexual favours as nullification was politically motivated, preconditions for support. even though there was the issue of her see page 34

26 AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 RENEWAL that could undermine educational efforts, stretch already limited public services and leave more young people without job The new face of the Sahel opportunities. Already unemployment afflicts half of all youths in Mali. Such Grassroots initiatives promote changes in livelihoods circumstances, in turn, contribute to the risks of crime and violence. By Ernest Harsch Poor governance does not help. Most governments in the Sahel are formally he people of the Sahel are forging focus is narrow and often superficial. The democratic, but for many ordinary networks and collaborations that Sahel’s concerns are also environmental, citizens, elections have not yielded Twill help them contend with the political, demographic, and economic. tangible improvements, while bureau- challenges of insecurity and climate The region’s security is itself “intricately cratic corruption and favouritism remain change that are besetting Africa’s most interrelated with broader socioeconomic common, observes Jean-Pierre Olivier de vulnerable regions. dynamics.” Sardan, who teaches in France and Niger. The Sahel is a vast semiarid region of With the collaboration of more than Those shortcomings, he says, have led to Africa separating the Sahara desert to the 40 other experts from Africa, Europe a “widening gap between the privileged north and tropical forests and savannas to and North America, Professor Villalón is class and the masses of the population.” the south, characterized by harsh weather editing a book on the challenges facing and periodic drought. While in some the countries of the Sahel, The Oxford Re-greening of Niger geographical usages the Sahel may extend Handbook of the African Sahel, sched- Improvements in official agricultural to the Red Sea, for political purposes uled for publication by the UK’s Oxford policies in the Sahel in recent years have the term most commonly refers to the University Press. The book will provide contributed to an increase in farm produc- countries of Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, a comprehensive analysis of the many tion, especially food for growing popu- Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad. factors shaping the region today. lations. But most of these achievements At a summit in Burkina Faso in From any angle, the Sahel’s challenges depend heavily on the efforts of ordinary mid-June to assess strategies for grap- appear formidable. farmers and livestock herders. pling with climate change, the presidents The region, frequently struck by Producer organizations are emerging of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger agreed drought and food insecurity, is projected across the Sahel, notes Renata Serra, a on the need for wider cooperation among to be one of the areas most severely development economist at the University their countries. affected by global climate change in the of Florida. “Above all,” said President Roch Marc coming years. With up to 80% of its people Since the mid-1980s, farmers in the Christian Kaboré of Burkina Faso, “we living on less than $2 a day, poverty is country’s southern regions have protected must ensure the participation of local more widespread in the Sahel than in and managed at least 200 million trees, populations, because they’re the ones most other parts of Africa. according to Chris Reij of the World who live every day with the torments of The Sahel’s population growth rate Resources Institute in Washington, drought and degraded land and water.” also is among the world’s highest. Experts DC. Satellite images and aerial photos Just a few days before the summit, project the six countries’ population of analysed by Gray Tappan and colleagues civil society and religious leaders had approximately 90 million people to jump met in Bamako, Mali, to promote reli- to 240 million by 2050—a rapid increase see page 34 gious tolerance in Sahelian states torn by armed conflict. And a few days later some 40 women parliamentarians from across the Sahel convened in Chad to promote women’s leadership in the prevention of violent extremism.

Not just conflict Much international attention toward the Sahel has concentrated on armed insurgency and terrorism, observes Leonardo Villalón, coordinator of the Sahel Research Group at the University of Florida in the US. But, he cautions, that

A riverbed outside Ougadougou, Burkina Faso. UN Photo/Kay Muldoon

AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 27 INTERVIEW Elections still a weak spot in Central Africa —François Louncény Fall

he special representative of the Secretary-General and head of the United Nations TRegional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), François Louncény Fall, appeared before the UN Security Council in June to brief it on the situation in the Central African region. He talked about political tension caused by February’s controversial elections, in addition to security threats by rebels and terrorist groups such as Boko Haram. Africa Renewal’s Franck Kuwonu sat down with Mr. Fall after the briefing to discuss the situation in the region. Here are the Excerpts:

Africa Renewal: Two issues seem (IMF) to shore up their economies. Chad to define the current situation in and Gabon appear to be doing better, but the Central African region: terror- the region overall is going through a hard related violence and contested elec- time. So when you add the impact Boko tions. Isn’t that a worrying trend? Haram activities are having in Cameroon Mr. Fall: Certainly! The Central and Chad, it becomes clear that Central African region stands out for various Africa faces great challenges. reasons. Firstly, the Economic Community of Central African States How is it that all of those issues seem (ECCAS) has been unable to effectively to be happening at the same time? play its role as mediator, although it is This could be explained by the fact being reformed. Secondly, almost all of that there really have not been polit- the elections in the region, or at least ical changes in the region, as elections seven of them held within the last year, remain controversial and the economies were marred by controversies. This led are weak—this can lead to all sorts of to multiple problems that we are now problems. dealing with. With some of the countries have always advised opposition parties now getting ready to elect their members You said almost all elections in the never to spurn a chance to talk to their of parliament, we will have a lot to deal region are marred by controversies. governments. Dialogue offers a chance to with. Why is that? reform the electoral process, but nothing Now if you add to that the Anglophone I believe that every country in the will change if opposition parties refuse to protests in Cameroon, the armed insur- region has to do better. They have to take part in discussions. gency in the Pool region of the Republic ensure that those who are tasked with of the Congo and other internal issues in organising elections do their job and Beyond advising opposing parties on other countries, obviously the situation in that the voting process is transparent. the need for dialogue around elec- the Central African region is of concern. In the past, we have had elections that tions, how is the UN office in Central In addition, the economic situation is also were widely contested, but progress is Africa involved with efforts to end worrying. The fall in commodities and oil being made in the Congo and in Gabon, conflict in the region? prices has hit the region hard. as opposition parties and the government We offer our good offices and are talking to each other. In general, we our expertise. We also work towards Is Chad, an oil producer, one of the countries affected? Not just Chad, but the Congo and Gabon as well. Last year, members of the I believe that every country in the region Central African Economic and Monetary has to do better. They have to ensure the Community (CEMAC) agreed to work with the International Monetary Fund voting process is transparent.

28 AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 We expressed to the Security Council How soon do you think the vacuum our great concern about the vacuum left by left by the withdrawing troops could the departure of the Ugandan troops and be filled? the American Special Forces from some We are working actively with areas in the Central African Republic. That MINUSCA to fill the vacuum as soon as vacuum may attract other armed groups possible. I have been assured that the force and undermine peace efforts. We have commander is working on that. suggested to the Council that they look into the possibility of deploying the UN Could armed groups take advantage Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization of this vacuum? Mission in the Central African Republic There are several other armed groups, (MINUSCA) troops to fill the vacuum while not just LRA, in the region that borders working to strengthen the Central African the three countries: the Democratic Republican army’s abilities to take over at Republic of Congo, South Sudan and the a later stage. Central African Republic. Unfortunately, none of these governments control the How possible is this? area. So when there are no effective It’s possible, because everybody knows authorities, rebel groups from any of the and understands that there is a real risk, three countries could move in.

(Right) François Loucény Fall, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) and his team briefing the

Security Council. UN Photo/ Eskinder Debebe that there is a real threat for peace and What would be your assessment of strengthening ECCAS mediation capaci- security in this region. the work that the UN is doing in the ties in each of its member countries, espe- region in general? cially with women’s organizations, youth Since the American Special Forces It is great work overall. Take the associations and other civil society groups. left, Uganda’s troops and other allies elections, for instance. Even when I are leaving as well. Why? mentioned earlier that elections in the Going back to security, there is the I believe Uganda forces are leaving region generate a lot of problems, we also issue of the persistence of the Lord’s because the LRA may no longer be a threat are working closely with all the political Resistance Army (LRA) in northern to the Ugandan government. That may be parties to avoid violence. We are working Uganda and its implication for the true, but we are saying that the LRA is to strengthen the capacity of ECCAS in region. Until recently there was inter- still active and is committing violence terms of preventive diplomacy. As you national military cooperation, and against women and attacking civilians. know, the sub-region has a role to play in now we are hearing that the coalition Even if the LRA is no longer a threat to maintaining peace and security among may be falling apart. The US has left the government of Uganda, it remains a its members, so we are working with the and some countries are withdrawing threat to peace and the stability of the regional organization to sustain their their troops. How did we get there? region nonetheless. capacities.

AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 29 EDUCATION being proposed” and said that it “violates Liberia’s legal and moral obligations.” Mr. Singh voiced his deep concern Private schools gain over the fact that some governments were actively encouraging private basic education, emphasizing, “Now more than a foothold in Africa ever, governments should be expanding public educational opportunities for the Experts wary over corporate takeover marginalized groups, especially children of education in sub-Saharan Africa from poor families.” A recent report by the Global Initiative By Lisa Vives for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights examined the impact of privatization of schools in Kenya. Among its findings was orporations and their partner The corporate takeover and privati- that privatization of education is growing foundations, supported by inter- zation of education in sub-Saharan “at an alarming rate”, without a corre- C national organizations, finan- Africa has been sharply criticized by sponding monitoring and regulation by ciers and bankers, as well as individual United Nations officials and advocates the state. In addition, the report stated investors are transforming educa- for investment in public education. In a that the government was encouraging tion across Africa—from a government 2015 statement, 190 education advocates the growth of private schools through responsibility and social right to a series from 91 countries called on governments the enactment of favourable policies. of investment opportunities. in the developing world to stop education It added that the increasing number of They say their reforms are designed to profiteers. They urged the World Bank to private actors in education is leading to increase educational equity and achieve stop financing these efforts. sharp inequalities and segregation in the higher standards. Where possible they In May 2016, Kishore Singh, the Kenyan society. seek out local community support, but United Nations special rapporteur Another recent study of the privati- the underlying motivation behind corpo- on the right to education, described zation experience in Nigeria had similar rate educational reform is extending the the outsourcing of public education in findings. The authors, all professors at reach of free-market globalization and Liberia to an American corporation as the University of Ibadan, remarked that business profits. “unprecedented at the scale currently while the growth of private education

30 AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 a two-tier education system, says Mr. and AfricInvest, an Africa-focused Whittaker: one tier, for the elite, is well midmarket private equity firm that is resourced and privatized, while the backing the International Community second stream, for the majority, is under- School (ICS) in a preferential share deal. resourced and public. ICS was founded in 2000 and has Not unexpectedly, this view of educa- grown to be one of the leading private tion is not shared by all. The New York– K-12 schools in Ghana. Today the based Africa American Institute, in its company operates three campuses and State of Education in Africa report, places teaches over 1,200 students in the cities the blame squarely on the failure of of Kumasi and Accra. governments to adequately fund education Further details of the burgeoning programmes and sees private schools as investments were revealed in Gulf News charitable and coming to the rescue. Banking last month showing that Centum “While more students are in school Investments and Investbridge Capital classrooms,” notes the report, “there is were embarking on the development of a deeper learning crisis at play: many a $16 million, 2,000-student school with students are not gaining basic skills while the acquisition of 20 acres in Kenya’s attending school.” Kiambu County. Consequently, according to the report, the quality of education in Africa Owning schools is in a perilous state. Private institutions The school is scheduled to open its doors are increasingly stepping in to educate to pupils in September 2018. According children who lack access to an education to reports, Centum and Investbridge will and to fill the gaps in a country’s public each hold a 40% stake in the project, with education system. the SABIS Network—a global education “The rise in private schools should not network that has a significant presence be seen as negative, but instead as a viable in the UAE—retaining the 20% balance Children attend a class at the Deari elementary alternative to a failing public education of the ownership. school in Eritrea. Panos/Giacomo Pirozzi system,” the report says. The tripartite consortium will be A recent investigative piece in the responsible for the acquisition and devel- had produced positive effects such as Conversation, an online nonprofit website opment of a network of schools across improved workers’ welfare, greater that covers commentary and debate on Africa, which will be operated as part of community participation and widening issues affecting the world, looked at the the SABIS Network. They plan to build access to education, it had also enabled the weaknesses of public education in Kenya. more than 20 schools in Africa over the proliferation of unapproved and unregis- Kenya’s public schools are facing next three to five years, with the cost of tered schools. huge challenges. In some parts of the each school ranging between $20 million While providing wider access to country, between 80 and 100 children are and $30 million. The investors have iden- education for children, private schools are crammed into a single classroom. Almost tified Kenya as the target country for often criticized for mortgaging education. four out of ten children are not literate or its first school, with other East African The World Bank has promoted a free- numerate at the Grade 2 level, a full two to markets such as Uganda and Tanzania market fundamentalist model of educa- three years after they should be. to follow, as well as further expansion in tion throughout the world since the 1980s, In sharp contrast, private schooling, Egypt. writes Shaun Whittaker, in an article which Kenyans used to view as an unnec- Investbridge said there is growing published in The Namibian titled ‘Our essary expense, has risen to be seen as the interest from a mature class of genera- education crisis and the World Bank’. gold standard of education for wealthy, tional investors from the Middle East and “This paradigm will dominate the global middle-class and poor families alike, who around the world to invest in education education debates for many years to believe that elite schools offer holistic sector opportunities in Africa. come,” he writes. learning that emphasizes values such as In the latest report by Caerus Capital— Studies by the Bank of Namibia’s leadership and self-confidence, preparing The business of education in Africa—the educational programme revealed a trans- the learners for bigger roles later in life. group predicts, “In the next five years, action perspective in which education is A summary of the investment capital an additional 25 million children are not regarded as a basic right, but as some- moving into education was provided expected to join private institutions, so thing that “should be evaluated according in a recent issue of Africa Capital that one in four children, from all sorts of to its contribution to the economy,” Mr. Digest. It mentioned ABO Capital, an backgrounds, will be enrolled in private Whittaker observed. Angolan investment firm that acquired schools by 2021”, creating an “enormous The matriculation results of 2012 Complexo Escolar Privado Internacional opportunity for investors: $16–18 billion reveal that Namibia is burdened with in Benfica, a suburb south of Luanda, over the next five years.”

AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 31 CENSORSHIP Uproar over Internet shutdowns Governments cite incitements to violence, exam cheating and hate speech By Tonderayi Mukeredzi

ina Forgwe, who lives in Bamenda, million in tax revenue, profits of Internet- Young men using computers in a cybercafe in the northwest of Cameroon, related businesses, general operating in Cairo, Egypt, where Khaled (Jaled) Said, a Nmissed the deadline to submit expenses, bank transaction fees, and 28-year-old blogger, was arrested and beaten to her doctoral application in March—one money transfer services, among others. death by police in 2010. Later, 400,000 people of many victims of an Internet shutdown Communication minister and joined the ‘We’re all Khaled Said’ campaign on in her town and in the other English- government spokesman Issa Tchiroma Facebook is considered one of the catalysts of speaking parts of the country. Bakary said the shutdown was triggered the 2011 Egyptian protests. The Cameroonian government by the propagation of false information Panos/Alfredo Caliz suspended services after Anglophone on social media capable of inciting hate teachers, lawyers and students went on and violence in the crisis-hit regions. Paris-based Internet rights organisa- strike over alleged historical biases in The shutdown was a particular blow for tion, told Africa Renewal that between favour of Francophones. The suspension Cameroon’s “Silicon Mountain,” a cluster January and June 2017, nine countries started in January this year and ended in of tech start-ups in the region that had globally experienced Internet blockades, March, and at nearly one hundred days is been flourishing. Deprived of the Internet, including three in Africa—Cameroon, the longest period of Internet disruption Silicon Mountain entrepreneurs were Egypt and Ethiopia. by an African government. forced to drive to other parts of Cameroon A few months after Cameroon’s The impact of the Internet disruption whenever they wanted to go online. These Internet disruption, a nationwide was severe, recalled Ms. Forgwe, who is long drives ate into work time. blackout was imposed in Ethiopia over an activist. “Money is being lost. Some of us can’t concerns about cheating at exams. “All personal services that required engage with our foreign clients because Ethiopian government spokesperson the Internet were put on hold. Many of the suspended Internet service. It’s Mohammed Seid explained that: “The Internet-based businesses ground to a disruptive to everyone,” said Churchill shutdown is aimed at preventing a repeat halt, especially tech start-ups. A lot of our Mambe. Mr. Mambe is the owner of of exam leaks that occurred last year.” activism is through online portals,” she Njorku, an employment and hotel services Since last May the Egyptian govern- told Africa Renewal. company recently listed among the top 20 ment has blocked 62 websites, including Access Now, a New York–based inter- African start-ups by Forbes magazine. those of Qatar-based Al Jazeera televi- national human rights organisation, put Julie Owono, a lawyer and executive sion and prominent independent news the financial cost of the shutdown at $5 director of Internet without Borders, a site Mada Masr, accusing them of inciting

32 AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 terrorism and spreading false news. The observed Ms. Owono. “Governments that Silicon Valley 2016, an annual global organisations have since denied the have been used to closed societies where summit on human rights and the Internet claims. information is centralized see connec- held in San Francisco, California. The Collaboration on International tivity as a threat rather than an opportu- #KeepItOn, a working group of ICT Policy for East and Southern nity,” she said. RightsCon comprising 199 organisations, Africa (CIPESA), a Ugandan informa- The Brookings Institution, a is working with governments, telecom- tion technology research and analysis Washington, DC–based think tank, munications companies, Internet compa- centre, states that Internet shutdown analysed the costs to an economy from nies, and civil society to tackle Internet is becoming a preferred tool of social a shutdown of the Internet. In seven shutdowns. The #BringBackOurInternet control and censorship by some African African countries surveyed in 2016 where campaign is largely credited for ratch- governments. the Internet was shut down, they lost an eting up the pressure that forced the Full Internet blockades are a marked estimated $320 million in revenue. Cameroonian government to restore the shift from the short-message service There is also the issue of digital Internet. Although the campaign focuses filtering or website blocking that was rights. In July 2016 the United Nations on highlighting the economic costs of hitherto more prevalent. Internet Human Rights Council passed a resolu- shutdowns, Natasha Musonza, founder providers use filtering mainly to isolate tion condemning countries that prevent of the Digital Society of Zimbabwe, spam or other unwanted messages, but or disrupt online access and informa- observes that the economic argument it can also be used to remove texts that tion, and called for free speech protec- cannot alone deter governments from mention such terms as democracy, human tions. Governments hide under the cover blocking the Internet. rights or hunger strike. of threat to national security to justify “We need to highlight other practical Africa accounted for 11 of the 56 global shutting down the Internet, says Ms. effects, such as the human impact. We are Internet shutdowns recorded in 2016, Owono. But so far, no government has also better off suggesting useful alterna- according to Deji Olukotun, Access Now allowed a judicial authority to determine tive solutions to problems such as exam senior global advocacy manager. This represents a 50% increase over 2015. Shutdowns occurred four times in Ethiopia, twice each in Gambia and Internet shutdown is becoming a Uganda, and once each in Chad, the preferred tool of social control and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Gabon, Mali, Zambia and Zimbabwe. censorship by some African governments Open Internet promoters say the shut- downs highlight how Internet attacks and abuses, including the proliferation if national security actually had been cheating or maintaining peace in the face of Internet-regulating laws, surveillance threatened, she says. On the contrary, of public protests,” she suggested. and interceptions of communication are shutdowns have happened during times The African Network Information worsening on the continent, just as there of political tension, giving weight to argu- Centre (AFRINIC), which assigns and is an increase in Internet diffusion. ments that the goal is to silence dissent. manages Internet addresses in Africa, States contend that Internet shut- Arsene Tungali, a Congolese activist proposed deactivating delinquent downs are needed to quell public and founder of Rudi International, governments’ online platforms for 12 protests, violence and misinformation a digital rights advocacy and security months as punishment for shutting down fuelled by social media or mobile phone training company, said that in the past the Internet. However, the proposal was messaging applications, citing the role of seven years, the DRC government has shot down by AFRINIC members at the the Internet in the Arab Spring five years orchestrated an interruption of online fifth African Internet Summit, held in ago, when protests toppled regimes in communications on several occasions. In Nairobi last June. The members said the Egypt and Tunisia. 2015 and 2016 the Congolese government proposal would be difficult to implement Mr. Olukotun counters that govern- blocked access to phone text messages and could antagonise governments or ments fear the use of the Internet by (SMS) and the Internet after protests even worsen the situation. grassroots groups to share information, erupted in response to the extension of To skirt Internet blockages, many civil organise and advocate for their rights, President Joseph Kabila’s time in power. and digital rights organisations have now adding that these uses are more threat- A similar blackout happened in the increasing their digital security knowl- ening to the established order than Republic of Congo as President Denis edge, especially on encryption, mitiga- preventing examination malpractices Sassou Nguesso moved to prolong his tion against surveillance and tools for or curtailing cyber fraud, child pornog- 32-year rule. safe online communication. Also, many raphy, hate speech or terrorism. The growing number of shutdowns Internet consumers in Cameroon, the The rise in Internet shutdowns comes has mobilized Internet access advocacy DRC, Uganda and Zimbabwe say the use as an increasing number of Africans groups and global campaigns, including of virtual private networks, which are are communicating via the Internet, the #KeepitOn campaign at RightsCon used to avoid blockages, has increased.

AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 33 More women in politics women, yet will not fully back the female early this year during her political party’s from page 26 politicians to win elections, explains Ms. fiery primaries in her Mbita Constituency Ekwunife. in western Kenya. Her bodyguard was Women candidates are more vulnerable killed and her house was burned down. women’s political power,” notes that “when than their male counterparts to electoral Will the ground be level anytime soon money dominates politics, women lose out. violence, including physical attacks on the for women politicians in Africa? Dismas With women having persistently lower candidates themselves, their families or Mokua, a political analyst with Trintari incomes for many reasons, they are far supporters, from the campaigns to election International, a Nairobi-based public rela- less likely than men to be in the social and time, says Ms. Mabona. tions firm, says women in Africa have made business networks that pour money into The Kenyan government pledged to some impact in politics but could do better. political campaigns.” enhance security for women aspirants in Most societies are patriarchal and don’t Major political parties rarely nominate the lead-up to the August 2017 general expect women to take up leadership posi- women for elected positions during prima- election. The cabinet secretary for interior tions, explains Mr. Mokua. ries because of the belief that women stand security, the late Joseph Nkaissery, in June “Running for a public office requires a slim chance of winning against men. In announced the government’s intention to resources. A lot of women candidates may Kenya, for example, all the leading parties protect women candidates, but also told not have the requisite finances,” says Mr. nominated men as presidential candidates them to be “tough,” without explaining Mokua. for the August 2017 elections. what he meant, leaving pundits to infer Against all odds, the time is now for Sometimes a political party will a tacit approval for women to be violent. Africa’s visionary female politicians to join attempt to curry favour by nominating Ms. Mabona herself witnessed raw violence politics and change the narrative.

The new face of the Sahel environmentalists, reports professor In February the presidents of the from page 27 Ousseina Alidou, a scholar from Niger Group of Five, also known as G5 Sahel, teaching at Rutgers University in New (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania Jersey, US. and Niger) agreed to boost joint military of the US Geological Survey show a visible She also notes that some groups in training, intelligence sharing, and logis- re-greening of wide areas, with more trees Burkina Faso, Niger and Senegal are tical infrastructure, as well as to form a and shrubs in the densely populated areas fighting for gender equality and “pushing joint military force against terrorism and of Zinder as well as other locations. the boundaries” of women’s status within drug trafficking. A similar expansion of tree cover is current family laws. They are also agitating In some countries, including Burkina going on in parts of Burkina Faso, Mali for legal adoption of refugee children and Faso and Senegal, military officers are and Senegal but it is happening in Niger orphans, an innovation under prevailing trying to improve relations with civilians. on “a spectacular scale, unique for the local Islamic legal practices. Civilians are also taking initiatives Sahel and probably unique for Africa,” In Burkina Faso, Senegal and else- of their own to counter jihadist ideology. comments Mr. Reij. where in the Sahel, civil society organisa- In Dori and Gorom-Gorom in Burkina In turn, denser vegetation has boosted tions are also campaigning against prac- Faso’s far north, a Muslim-Christian civil the yields and diversity of farm produc- tices such as female genital mutilation and association regularly organises interfaith tion, generating strong commitment from child marriage. dialogues. farmers. Donor-funded programmes have However, for such efforts to make real contributed to the re-greening phenom- Citizen engagement headway, the region’s governments must enon. But the most important factor, Likewise, political life is beginning do much more to reach out to their own researchers argue, has been the emer- to show the impact of citizen involve- citizens, argues Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, gence of village committees to protect and ment. In Burkina Faso and Senegal, civil president of the Center for Strategy and manage trees. society groups remain active, mounting Security in the Sahel-Sahara, headquar- Studies of farmer-led tree manage- campaigns against corruption, for greater tered in Mauritania. ment efforts indicate that women have transparency in mining industries, for They must heed “the popular demand been particularly active, in part because better public services and around other for better management of African econ- they are prime beneficiaries. Some tree issues. omies and political rights,” says Mr. varieties produce fruit and leaves that Civil mobilizations in elsewhere in Ould-Abdallah, a former UN Secretary- they can sell for extra income, while the the Sahel have been more sporadic, but at General’s representative to Somalia, availability of more trees overall helps times have nevertheless been notable. adding that “Demanding better govern- reduce the time women spend collecting In countering threats of terrorism ance…less corruption, more social inclu- fuelwood. and armed violence, all governments of sion, more professional and less tribalized In Keita town, central Niger, women the Sahel are aware that they need to security forces, and good border policies are planting “trees for peace,” as in strengthen their security forces and coop- will all contribute to fighting violent similar campaigns by Kenyan women erate more closely with each other. extremism more effectively.”

34 AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 BOOK REVIEW Managing and Transforming an African University: Personal Experience at Makerere University 1973-2004 by John Pancras Mukasa Ssebuwufu CODESRIA, Dakar, 2017, 808pp

he book, Managing and Transforming education under the British Protectorate T an African University: Personal Government and was converted to a univer- Experience at Makerere University by John sity in 1970. Pancras Mukasa Ssebuwufu provides a vivid Mr. Ssebuwufu’s book enriches the liter- account of the author’s three decades at the ature on achieving transformational leader- institution (1973 to 2004) and an insight ship and sustainable development on the into the challenges of managing an African continent through innovation that enhances university. quality higher education. Having been a former student and staff With detailed descriptions of the various Leadership member, Mr. Ssebuwufu later became phases of higher education development in Programme six years ago with Makerere University’s eighth vice-chan- Makerere, the author adroitly links the past funding from the Carnegie Corporation of cellor. to the present. Mr. Ssebuwufu’s experience, New York. The book is a rich blend of old and sprinkled throughout the book, will fascinate CODESRIA supports research networks, current history of Makerere University, and scholars and managers of higher educational policy forums and publications to document is a valuable addition to the literature on one institutions in Africa and beyond. and provide an understanding of transfor- Africa’s oldest and most enduring educa- The book is published by the Dakar- mations with regard to the governance and tional institutions and centres of excellence. based Council for the Development of Social leadership of higher education institutions The University was established in 1922 as Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), in Africa. a technical school by the department of which launched a Higher Education — Abdarahmane Wone

APPOINTMENTS

United Nations Secretary-General António Mukhisa Kituyi of Kenya has been appointed Guterres has appointed Phumzile Mlambo- as Secretary-General of the United Nations Ngcuka of South Africa as Executive Director of Conference on Trade and Development UN Women for a further term of four years. (UNCTAD) for a further term of four years. Before her role at UN-Women, Ms. Mlambo- Mr. Kituyi served an initial four-year term as UN Women UN Ngcuka worked with women and girls within UNCTAD UNCTAD’s seventh secretary-general. He has civil society, as well as focused on political and economic rights and an extensive background as an elected official, an academic, coupled girls’ education. She was the first female deputy president of South with wide-ranging experience in trade negotiations, and in African Africa and had earlier served as a cabinet minister. and broader international economics and diplomacy.

Masimba Tafirenyika of Zimbabwe has been Pramila Patten of Mauritius has been appointed as director of the United Nations appointed as special representative on Sexual Information Centre in Pretoria, South Africa. Violence in Conflict. She most recently served He most recently served as Chief of the Africa as a barrister-at-law and since 2003, as a Section in the UN Department of Public member of the committee on the elimination of UN Photo / Paddy Ilos Information and Editor-in-Chief of its Africa UN Photo/Rick Bajornas all forms of discrimination against women. Ms. Renewal magazine. Patten succeeds Zainab Hawa Bangura of Sierra Leone.

David McLachlan-Karr of Australia has been Lieutenant-General Frank Mushyo Kamanzi of appointed as deputy special representa- Rwanda has been appointed as force tive of the secretary-general in Guinea-Bissau. commander of the United Nations Mission in He most recently served as UN resident South Sudan (UNMISS). He most recently coordinator, humanitarian coordinator and served as force commander of the African UNDP UNDP resident representative in Jordan. Mr. UN Photo Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in McLachlan-Karr succeeds Maria do Valle Ribeiro of Ireland. Darfur (UNAMID).

AfricaRenewal August - November 2017 35 www.un.org/africarenewal facebook.com/africarenewal twitter.com/africarenewal

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