How Dangote refinery is flipping the script on Africa’s oil

How Dangote refinery is flipping the script on Africa’s oil

By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency Nigeria's Dangote refinery, a 650,000 barrels per day facility, has recently exported its first-ever jet fuel cargo to Europe, a move that signals not just growing production, but Africa's potential to become a major player in the global petroleum market. S&P Global in a report on May 30 explains that Bp, a British multinational oil and gas company, transported […]

June 6, 2024 39

Africa

Africa enters into multi-country visa regime

By Conrad Onyango, bird story agency Africa is moving towards a multi-country visa system, with individual countries and regional blocs working to remove their borders to promote intra-Africa tourism. Southern African countries are the latest to signal their intent to allow tourists to explore more diverse offerings across multiple destinations using a single visa. Leaders from Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, which comprise […]

June 6, 2024 21

Africa

Nigerian tycoon taps Zimbabwe for lithium as Africa pushes local development of its mining sector

By Seth Onyango, bird tsory agency Nigerian industrialist Benedict Peters’ Bravura Holdings will start production at a Zimbabwean lithium project in 2025, boosting Africa's drive to retain more profits from the global lithium boom, according to mining.com. African Intelligence reported in March that the Nigerian billionaire had acquired an exploration license in the key mining area of Kamativi. Peters' foray into lithium mining […]

June 5, 2024 27

Africa

Nearly 25% of land in Africa has been damaged – what’s to blame, and what can be done

By Mlungele M. Nsikani, South African National Biodiversity Institute Land degradation is a huge issue across the continent of Africa. One of its biggest drivers is biological invasions. This is when invasive species (species that aren’t naturally found in the area) arrive and produce large numbers of offspring which spread over long distances. Mlungele Nsikani, a land restoration specialist and environmental scientist, explains how […]

June 4, 2024 21

Africa

Angola’s Petro de Luanda wins 2024 Basketball Africa League Championship

By bird story agency Angola’s Petro de Luanda on Saturday (May 1) clinched the 2024 Basketball Africa League (BAL) Championship, becoming the first team outside of North Africa to win the BAL finals after overpowering Libya’s Al Ahly Ly 107-94 in the finals. The Angolans, who are also the 2022 BAL runners-up and one of only two teams to compete in all four BAL seasons, […]

June 3, 2024 34

World

Russia FM in Guinea amid Africa influence boost

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived on Monday in Guinea, his ministry said, the first trip by Moscow's top diplomat to the West African country since 2013. Russia, which has seen its relations with the West plummet after it sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, has sought to boost its influence in Africa in recent years. Russia's foreign ministry announced the visit on the Telegram social media […]

June 3, 2024 13

Africa

Africa’s green bond market is booming – report

By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency Green bonds are experiencing robust growth in Africa as governments, corporations, and financial institutions recognize their potential to fund sustainable projects. A new report shows green bond issuances in Africa jumped 125% last year, hitting US$1.4 billion from US$600 million in 2022. The report, ‘Emerging Market Green Bonds’ by the International Finance Corporation and Amundi, a European asset manager […]

June 3, 2024 25

Africa

Europe’s hydrogen rush targets Tunisia, other sunny African countries

By Bonface Orucho, bird story agency TE H2, a joint venture that includes involves TotalEnergies (as the major partner), EREN Groupe, and Austria’s leading electricity company, VERBUND, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Republic of Tunisia to explore the viability of this project, according to a press statement. The move is just the latest in a flurry of announcements involving […]

May 31, 2024 22

Health / Medical

Pharma firm urged to share new ‘game-changer’ HIV drug

By Daniel Lawler Paris, May 30, 2024 (AFP) - More than 300 politicians, health experts and celebrities on Thursday called for US pharmaceutical giant Gilead to allow cheap, generic versions of a promising new HIV drug to be produced so it can reach people in developing countries most affected by the deadly disease. The drug lenacapavir could be a "real game-changer" in the fight against […]

May 30, 2024 59