By The Independent Team Mohammed Al Amoudi (Ethiopia) African Rank No.1 – World Rank No. 43 – Wealth $9 billion Ethiopian born Mohammed Al Amoudi is this year the Richest Man in Africa. Al Amoudi who is based in Saudi Arabia has kept his US $9 billion fortune through these …
Read More »Zoellick on his Africa tour
By Patrick Kagenda The World Bank president Robert B. Zoellick just ended an African tour that took him to Sierra Leone, Cote d’Ivoire, and Ethiopia.He told the African Union meeting in Addis Ababa that an estimated 64 million people worldwide will fall into extreme poverty because of the global financial …
Read More »Why Africa is losing its best
By Andrew M. Mwenda Finally, I have settled down at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut where I will be a post-graduate fellow for the next couple of months. The place is below freezing but it offers the best environment for someone to indulge in intellectual speculation. With few public …
Read More »Conservatism blocking dynamic thinking in Africa
By Awel Uwihanganye My political commentaries, which sometimes are published in The Independent Magazine, mostly analysing Uganda’s political trends and supporting President Museveni on a number of issues, have been a source of nasty words thrown at me, with many responses and unfairly harsh and negative reactions from those who …
Read More »Commodity revival offers hope for Africa
By Agencies Resurgent mineral exports and foreign investor demand look set to support African currencies in 2010, but an array of local factors, ranging from bad weather to anti-gay legislation, could upset that trend. The region’s high-yielding debt and strong economic growth prospects are likely to lure foreigners into frontier …
Read More »Is the executive killing independence of Africa’s parliaments?
By Bob Roberts Katende It was Uganda’s turn last week to host a conference that brings together Commonwealth speakers and presiding officers of parliament in Africa. Over 20 speakers and officials turned up for the six-day event at Speke Resort Munyonyo. The delegates were here to share experiences with their …
Read More »Is Africa prepared for broadband?
By Molly Lister Mobile growth has shaped the past ten years, but broadband will shape the next ten years. An ITU Human Capacity Development Forum for Africa held in Kampala on July 8-10, 2009 addressed Africa’s readiness for broadband. Clive Shepherd, an expert in human resource development, says the ICT …
Read More »World Bank ready to rescue Africa
By Patrick Kagenda Economic growth drops to 2.4%, 700,000 could die Africa may have been an innocent bystander when the global financial crisis was hatched in the developed nations but they stand to suffer most according to the latest World Bank forecasts. The queen of African economic gloom, Obiageli K. …
Read More »Africa’s riches can fight poverty
By Obiageli Katryn Ezekwesili Less than a year ago, there was a sense of optimism in many African countries. Growth rates in Sub-Saharan Africa were comparable to Asia, hovering around 6 percent, a result of high commodity prices, a favorable global environment — and also of improved economic management, investment …
Read More »G20 summit: Did Africa get what it wanted?
By Independent Team & Agencies After it ended on April 2 the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group President, Donald Kaberuka, who was part of a NEPAD delegation, said the G-20 summit was a major success because it adopted specific African proposals. I think we made a very surprising level of …
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