Here is a summarized nugget-style report, condensing key points from your extracts on the trends in foreign investment in Africa, with quantitative and qualitative insights suitable for University of Nairobi career services and students.

(Character count is under 2500.)

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**Foreign Investment in Africa: Recent Trends & Opportunities**

- **Investment Scale & Areas**
  - Recent headline investments include a KES 33 billion (~$240 million) Mastercard digital initiative to benefit Kenyan students, highlighting growing commitment to digital skills and education tech.

- Major infrastructure projects, such as Rwanda's plan to connect 3,000 schools to the internet via China Exim Bank and World Bank funding, show foreign capital flows into Africa’s education and digital connectivity sectors.

- Bolt, a European ride-hailing company, pledged $530 million for job creation across Africa, reflecting robust investment in mobility tech, despite some operational challenges (layoffs in Nigeria).

- Africa is seeing significant investments in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and Free Trade Zones, intended to boost industrialization and attract manufacturing, technology, and service companies by offering regulatory and tax incentives.

- **Industrial Focus & Technology Transfer**
  - Technology transfer is increasingly prioritized, as shown by references to blockchain trials (e.g., crypto in Zanzibar tourism) and digital payment expansion (e.g., JumiaPay processing 36% of Jumia’s orders).

- Future investment trends emphasize automation, AI in payroll/HR management, and growing support for remote work via Employer of Record (EOR) services, making market entry easier for foreign companies.

- Growth sectors include education tech, fintech, logistics, mobility, and manufacturing, opening many avenues for business administration graduates.

- **Major Foreign Players & Partnerships**
  - Mastercard, Bolt, Jumia (pan-African e-commerce), and China Exim Bank are notable multinational investors.

- EU Business School entered a partnership with the African Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Institute to support leadership development, indicating European engagement in African business education.

- Partnerships often involve African institutions (e.g., local banks, start-ups, educational organizations) working jointly with international firms, as seen in angel investor ecosystems like the Africa Business Angel Network (ABAN).

- **Local Entities & Investment Vehicles**
  - African angels and enterprise networks (e.g., ABAN) are increasingly collaborating with global investors to fund startups and SMEs.

- Regional governments are key facilitators, offering targeted incentives, regulatory reforms, and infrastructure to attract FDI.

- Public-private partnerships are common, especially in technology adoption and upskilling initiatives.

- **Talent & Employment Impact**
  - Foreign investment is tied to job growth, skill development, and innovation.

- Flexible and scalable employment solutions (like EOR services) are becoming common, enabling international companies to operate easily in African markets.

- **Future Projections**
  - Projections see continued growth in FDI with a focus on technology, green energy, logistics, and business services.

- Demand is expected to grow for African graduates with business, tech, and entrepreneurial skills.

**Key Takeaway for Students:**
Africa’s FDI landscape is dynamic and expanding, driven by technology, education, and new business models.

Career opportunities are rich in sectors like fintech, digital services, logistics, and international business development.

Strategic partnerships, public-private initiatives, and increasing access to capital provide robust avenues for graduates to participate in and benefit from Africa’s economic development.

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This summary offers actionable insights and figures to inspire confidence and career planning among University of Nairobi’s business administration students.

**Summary: Foreign Investment in Africa – Recent Trends and Developments**

1.

**Geopolitical Diversification & New Partners**
   - Africa is increasingly at the center of a multipolar global landscape, attracting not just traditional powers (US, France), but also Russia, China, and India.

- Russia is reinvigorating its economic and political partnerships across Africa, especially with countries like Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, Eritrea, Niger, and Zimbabwe, seeking alternatives to Western-led models of development.

**Key Sectors of Investment**
   - **Agriculture:** Russia and India have expressed intent to boost investment in African agriculture.

Notably, Russian companies have launched digital education platforms for African farmers.

- **Energy:** India is investing in renewable energy, building a major solar power plant in Mozambique aimed at making Southern Africa a hub for renewables.

- **Education & Training:** Efforts include Russian language centers in Zimbabwe and partnerships to promote higher education—with increasing numbers of African students enrolling in Russian institutions (now over 3,000 from barely 100 previously).

- **Information Technology:** Russia reports exports of IT services to Africa, and collaborative digital initiatives are in place.

- **Infrastructure:** Both China and India pursue infrastructure projects spanning power, transport, and technology, though specific Chinese project data isn’t covered in this extract.

**Major Investment/Partnership Examples**
   - **PhosAgro:** Russian agrochemical firm has launched digital education platforms for African farmers, reflecting a trend of knowledge-transfer partnerships.

- **Indian Solar Plant in Mozambique:** Demonstrates India's rising stakes in Africa’s sustainable energy future to also reinforce strategic influence.

- Agreements for recognition of educational qualifications with Eritrea further deepen bi-national academic cooperation.

**Trends & Projections**
   - The African continent is projected to occupy a role comparable to what China and India hold today within 20 years (per Valdai Club discussions).

- Over 40% of Africa’s population is under 15, suggesting a booming youth workforce and consumer base—attractive for foreign investors seeking new markets.

- African nations seek mutual benefit in foreign partnerships.

There's increasing skepticism about Western models, and more emphasis on alliances that combine local resources with foreign technology and expertise.

**African Agency & Direction**
   - There’s a growing advocacy for self-determined partnerships, with African stakeholders preferring mutually beneficial relationships over extractive ones—especially in response to the legacy of colonialism and "win-lose" arrangements with Western entities.

- African countries are also leveraging diplomatic engagement (summits, recognition agreements, education exchanges) as tools to formalize and expand international economic cooperation.

**Conclusion:**
Foreign investment in Africa is diversifying, with non-Western powers like Russia and India expanding in agriculture, energy, education, and IT, alongside existing Western and Chinese activity.

Projects range from digital agriculture and education platforms to infrastructure and renewables.

Major firms (e.g., PhosAgro) and governments are increasingly active, reflecting Africa’s rising profile as a site for global economic growth and partnership.

**Summary of Extracted Information on Foreign Investment and Partnerships in Africa**

**Educational Investment and Human Capital Development:**
- Universities across Africa, including Alexandria University (with branches in Chad and South Sudan) and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, are expanding master’s programs—many offering full scholarships—and are particularly focused on empowering women and promoting gender equality in business leadership.

- Collaboration between African higher education institutions and international partners is increasing.

There have been partnerships between the American University and Egyptian universities, as well as active engagement of experts from Europe and other regions.

- There is a growing emphasis on digital education and skills development to prepare students for Africa’s evolving labor markets, with calls from African Union and Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) leadership to transform education systems for the future workforce.

- Training in high-tech sectors such as space research and remote sensing is being promoted, with multiple African researchers participating in specialized training and exchange programs.

**Foreign Investment and Diaspora Engagement:**
- Foreign investment is increasingly directed toward for-profit projects that have a broader impact on job creation.

Initiatives like “Invest for Employment” can cover up to 25% of total investment value, with a focus on businesses led by women and gender-focused employment projects.

- Diaspora remittances and investments are being recognized as vital sources of social and economic development in Africa.

The Global Forum on Remittances, Investment and Development (co-organized by IFAD, UN, and World Bank) in Nairobi, emphasizes leveraging these financial flows for broader socioeconomic impact.

**Geographic and Sectoral Trends:**
- Investment is geographically spreading across sub-Saharan Africa, with Egypt increasing scholarship allocations for students from these regions by 25% for 2023-2024.

- Industrial investment is spanning education, technology (notably space research and remote sensing), and sectors that will prepare Africa for future labor demands.

The importance of innovation centers and direct, continuous collaboration between universities, companies, and factories is highlighted.

**Key Partners and Entities:**
- Major partnerships involve European experts, American and French university branches in Africa, international development agencies (IFAD, World Bank, UN), and key African institutions (e.g., the African Development Institute relocating its headquarters to Dakhla).

Here is a summarized nugget-style report, condensing key points from your extracts on the trends in foreign investment in Africa, with quantitative and qualitative insights suitable for University of Nairobi career services and students.

Title:

Content: Businesses Thriving with Africa Employer of Record Services

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As the global economy continues to evolve, businesses are increasingly looking to expand their operations into new and emerging markets. Africa, with its diverse economies and growing market potential, presents a wealth of opportunities for international businesses. However, expanding into new territories comes with its own set of challenges, particularly when it comes to navigating complex legal and regulatory landscapes. Employer of Record (EOR) services offer a solution to these challenges, enabling businesses to establish a presence in Africa efficiently and compliantly.

Understanding Africa Employer of Record Services

An Employer of Record (EOR) is a third-party organization that serves as the legal employer for a company’s workforce in a foreign country. This arrangement allows businesses to hire employees in a new market without having to establish a legal entity in that location. The EOR takes on the responsibilities and liabilities associated with employment, including payroll processing, tax compliance, benefits administration, and adherence to local labor laws. This enables companies to focus on their core business activities while ensuring legal compliance and mitigating risks.

The primary difference between an EOR and traditional employment is that the EOR becomes the legal employer of the workers, although the client company retains control over their day-to-day activities and job responsibilities. This arrangement provides a seamless and efficient solution for international hiring, particularly in regions with complex regulatory environments.

Key Benefits of Using Africa EOR Services

Using an Africa EOR provides numerous benefits for businesses looking to expand into new markets. These benefits include simplified market entry, cost efficiency, legal compliance, access to a skilled workforce, scalability, and enhanced payroll and tax management. Global EOR providers help global businesses seamlessly hire and pay remote professionals with compliant recruitment solutions.

Simplified Market Entry

One of the primary advantages of using an Africa EOR is the simplified market entry it offers. Setting up a legal entity in a foreign country can be a time-consuming and expensive process, involving extensive paperwork, regulatory approvals, and compliance with local laws. An EOR provider acts as the legal employer for your workforce, allowing you to enter new markets quickly and efficiently without the need to establish a legal entity. This enables businesses to focus on their core activities and strategic goals while the EOR handles all employment-related matters.

Cost Efficiency

Expanding into a new market often involves significant operational costs, including setting up offices, hiring staff, and managing compliance requirements. EOR solutions can help reduce these costs by providing a cost-effective alternative to establishing a legal entity. The EOR provider manages all employment-related expenses, including payroll, taxes, benefits, and compliance, allowing businesses to optimize their resources and allocate funds to other critical areas of their operations. By outsourcing employment management to an EOR provider, businesses can concentrate on their core activities and strategic initiatives, driving growth and profitability.

Legal Compliance

Navigating the complex legal and regulatory landscape of a new country can be challenging. Labor regulations in Africa can vary significantly from one country to another, making it difficult for businesses to stay compliant. EOR providers have in-depth knowledge of local labor laws and ensure that all employment practices adhere to these regulations, reducing the risk of legal issues and penalties. EOR providers are responsible for ensuring that all employment practices comply with local labor laws and regulations. This includes managing employment contracts, handling terminations, and ensuring that employee benefits and entitlements are in line with legal requirements. By partnering with an EOR provider, businesses can mitigate the risks associated with non-compliance and focus on their strategic goals.

Access to a Skilled Workforce

Africa is home to a large and diverse talent pool, with a growing number of skilled professionals in various sectors. The continent’s workforce is young, vibrant, and increasingly educated, making it an attractive destination for businesses looking to tap into new talent pools. EOR providers can help businesses access this talent pool by facilitating the recruitment and hiring of skilled professionals in the target market. By hiring local talent, businesses can benefit from the expertise and knowledge of professionals who understand the local market, culture, and business environment. This can lead to better decision-making, improved customer relations, and enhanced business performance. EOR providers can assist with the recruitment and onboarding of local talent, ensuring that businesses have access to the right skills and expertise.

Scalability

One of the key advantages of using an EOR provider is the ability to scale operations up or down quickly and efficiently. Whether a business needs to hire additional staff to meet growing demand or downsize due to changing market conditions, EOR providers offer the flexibility to adjust the workforce as needed. This scalability is particularly valuable in dynamic and rapidly changing markets. EOR providers offer flexible contract terms and conditions, allowing businesses to tailor their employment arrangements to meet their specific needs. This includes options for short-term, long-term, and project-based contracts, as well as the ability to adjust employee benefits and compensation packages. This flexibility enables businesses to respond to market changes and optimize their workforce.

Enhanced Payroll and Tax Management

Managing payroll and taxes in a foreign country can be complex and fraught with risks. EOR providers handle payroll processing, tax withholding, and filing, ensuring accuracy and compliance with local tax laws. This not only reduces the administrative burden on businesses but also minimizes the risk of costly errors and penalties. EOR providers use advanced payroll systems to ensure consistent and accurate payroll calculations, reducing manual intervention and minimizing the risk of errors and discrepancies. These systems are scalable, accommodating growing workforces, which is essential for businesses expanding their operations in Africa.

How EOR Services Help Businesses Thrive

The benefits of using an Africa EOR extend beyond simplified market entry, cost efficiency, legal compliance, access to a skilled workforce, scalability, and enhanced payroll and tax management. EOR services can also help businesses thrive in the African market by providing ongoing support, fostering employee satisfaction and retention, and enabling businesses to adapt to changing market conditions.

Ongoing Support

EOR providers offer ongoing support to ensure that businesses remain compliant with local labor laws and regulations. This includes regular compliance checks, updates on regulatory changes, and ongoing support for payroll and HR management. The EOR provider also works closely with the client to address any concerns or issues that may arise, providing businesses with peace of mind and allowing them to focus on their core activities.

Employee Satisfaction and Retention

Attracting and retaining top talent requires offering competitive employee benefits. EOR providers can help businesses design and manage comprehensive benefits packages that meet local market standards and employee expectations. This includes health insurance, retirement plans, paid leave, and other perks that enhance employee satisfaction and retention. By ensuring that employees receive competitive benefits and support, businesses can foster a positive work environment and improve employee retention.

Adapting to Changing Market Conditions

As businesses grow and evolve, their employment needs may change. EOR providers offer the flexibility to adapt to these changing needs by providing customized solutions that align with the client’s strategic goals. This includes offering support for new market entry, managing remote teams, and addressing compliance requirements in different countries. By partnering with an EOR provider, businesses can remain agile and responsive to market changes, ensuring long-term success in the African market.

Future Trends in Africa EOR Services

The EOR industry is continually evolving, driven by technological advancements and changing business needs. Future trends to watch for include increased use of automation and AI in payroll processing and HR management, ongoing updates to labor laws and regulations, and growing demand for flexible and scalable EOR solutions to accommodate remote work and global expansion.

Technological Advancements

Increased use of automation and AI in payroll processing and HR management is transforming the EOR industry. Advanced technology enables EOR providers to streamline processes, improve accuracy, and enhance compliance. This includes the use of AI-powered tools for payroll calculations, tax filing, and HR analytics. Cloud-based solutions are also becoming more prevalent, providing real-time access to payroll data and reports, enhancing data security, and ensuring compliance with local regulations.

Regulatory Changes

Ongoing updates to labor laws and regulations require EOR providers to stay agile and informed. As governments in Africa continue to update and revise labor laws, EOR providers must ensure compliance with these changes. This includes staying updated on regulatory developments and providing guidance to clients to ensure ongoing compliance.

Evolving Business Needs

Growing demand for flexible and scalable EOR solutions to accommodate remote work and global expansion is shaping the future of the industry. Businesses are increasingly seeking EOR services that offer flexibility and scalability to adapt to changing market conditions and business needs. Integration of payroll systems with HR and financial management platforms is also becoming more common, enhancing data accuracy, efficiency, and compliance.

Final Thoughts

Expanding into a new market is a significant undertaking that requires careful planning and consideration. Legal compliance, payroll management, and access to a skilled workforce are critical aspects of this process. By leveraging the services of an Africa Employer of Record, businesses can ensure compliance with local laws, reduce legal risks, and focus on their core activities.

As the EOR industry continues to evolve, businesses that stay informed and adapt to new trends will be well-positioned to capitalize on the opportunities Africa has to offer. Whether you are entering a new market or expanding your existing operations, EOR services provide the support and expertise needed to succeed in the diverse and dynamic markets of Africa.

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Title:

Content: 18 NOVEMBER, 2021

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Good morning ☀

Davido, a renowned Afrobeats singer also known as OBO, raised pre-seed funding of ₦142,000,000 ($338,000) yesterday.

The round was led by angel investors who wrote check sizes starting from ₦1,000,000 ($2,380), some even going as high as ₦5,000,000 ($11,900).

Founded in 1992, the GOAT—known for good music and a charitable attitude—has announced his intention to use the funding to celebrate his founding year and expand his automobile collection.

While money didn’t fall on the GOAT per se, it definitely had no problem falling into his newly-activated Wema bank account.

TechCabal recognizes the opportunity to write a food-for-thought piece on this but we prefer to express our congratulations, and we’re quite grateful that we didn’t have to step in to save the day.

In today’s edition

  • Everything’s up at Jumia, including orders and ambitions
  • Crypto may be coming to Zanzibar
  • Moving into African cities with a $1.6 million raise

EVERYTHING’S UP AT JUMIA

On Tuesday, African e-commerce company, Jumia, released its earnings report for the third quarter of 2021.

Here are the highlights:

  • Jumia’s adjusted EBITDA and operating losses in Q3 2021 went up by 94% and 93% year-over-year to $52.5 million and $64 million, respectively.
  • Sales and advertising expenses reached $24.0 million, up 228% year-over-year, while technology and content expenses increased by 27% to $9.4 million.
  • Orders made on Jumia reached an all-time quarterly high of 8.5 million, representing a 28% year-over-year growth.
  • Annual active consumers reached 7.3 million and its gross merchandise value (GMV) reached $238 million, both up 8% year-over-year.
  • FMCG inventories is the fastest-growing category in terms of items sold while food delivery is second-fastest with over 2 million orders in Q3.
  • Jumia reached a major milestone by recording $1 million revenue from its logistics service. It delivered 2.9 million packages on behalf of 766 clients, this was a 123% increase on the 1.3 million packages that were delivered in Q2 2021.

Big Picture: One interesting part of the report highlights Jumia’s fintech ambition. In Q3, JumiaPay processed 36% of all orders on Jumia. Optimistic about this, the company has shared a roadmap to fintech-dom which includes launching payment cards, savings, insurance, and BNPL options to JumiaPay users.

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CRYPTO MAY BE COMING TO ZANZIBAR

Zanzibar is exploring ways to regulate and adopt cryptocurrency. Last week Zanzibar’s Minister of State for Economy and Investment, Mr Mudrick Soraga, said that the government is, “…seeking views on the matter before deciding whether it is viable or not” and would meet with stakeholders on the matter in the third week of November.

Crypto tourism

The government’s interest in cryptocurrency and blockchain tech could be for its tourism industry. Zanzibar is a premium, world-class, bucket-list travel destination. Its tourism industry raked in an estimated $2.6 billion in revenues in 2019.

There are a number of interesting use cases for crypto and blockchain in tourism. Last month, it was reported that Thailand’s tourism body is seriously considering developing its own digital token aimed at the upwards of 30 million (pre-pandemic) travelers that flock to the leading tourism destination each year.

What about Tanzania?

Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania.

This means that the island partially governs itself, has its own taxes, and elects its own administration. Zanzibar, however, does not issue its own currency.

That aspect of the island’s economy is run by the Bank of Tanzania (BoT). So, in order to see wide-scale cryptocurrency adoption, Zanzibar’s government will have to work with the central bank to develop a policy framework for crypto adoption. This might not be so difficult. Tanzania’s government has already demonstrated an interest in crypto with President Samia Suluhu Hassan, calling for the BoT to lay the groundwork for cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology back in June.

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MOVING INTO AFRICAN CITIES WITH A $1.6 MILLION RAISE

Shuttlers, a logistics startup headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, has raised $1.6 million in seed funding to expand into African countries.

The investment round was led by VestedWorld, a Chicago-and-Africa-based investment firm, with Interswitch, Rising Tide Africa, Launch Africa, EchoVC, CMC 21 & Alsa, ShEquity, Five35, Consonance Investment, CcHub Syndicate, Sakore, and Nikky Taurus also participating in the raise.

Backstory: In 2016, Damilola Olokesusi founded Shuttlers to tackle the inefficient transportation system in Lagos, Africa’s most populous city. The startup was a tech-enabled bus-sharing company targeted at helping Lagosians commute in comfort at affordable rates.

At the time, Lagos was a city holding 23 million people and 90% of its transport system was road-based, with semi-formal mini buses or danfos accounting for 45% of trips while walking accounted for 40%. According to the Lagos Metropolitan Transport Authority, in 2015, the city alone also accounted for 30% of the total number of road vehicles in Nigeria, with a vehicular density of 234 cars per kilometre.

With formal or public transport accounting for only 2.5 of the total network, there was space in the industry for a system that formalized commuting in affordable ways.

Cutting Lagosians Slack

When Shuttler drove into space, it didn’t have an application.

The company’s model at the time was messenger-based, using Slack, email, and WhatsApp to communicate routes and timelines to its customers. But this business model didn’t stop Shuttlers from getting customers on board, one of which was tech-talent sourcing company, Andela.

Read more: With 2 million trips and a $1.6 million raise, Shuttlers is driving past Lagos.

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OPPORTUNITIES

  • The Kofi Annan Global Health Leadership is offering a fully-funded fellowship to public health leaders in Africa. The fellowship is open to citizens of member-states of the African Union (AU) who possess post-graduate degrees and professional experience in public health. Find out more here
  • The 2021 Africa Legal Tech Innovation Awards is open to nominations for individuals championing revolution in Africa’s legal-tech space. Learn more about the awards here.
  • The Commonwealth Shared Scholarships for the 2022/2023 academic year are now open to applications from candidates in commonwealth countries seeking to pursue master’s degrees in selected courses at UK Universities. Accepted candidates will get tuition fees for the duration of their program, airfare, and living expenses of up to £1,390. Find out more here

What else we’re reading

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT #TCDAILY?

Written by – Timi Odueso & Alexandria Williams

Edited by – Kelechi Njoku

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**Foreign Investment in Africa: Recent Trends & Opportunities**

- **Investment Scale & Areas**
  - Recent headline investments include a KES 33 billion (~$240 million) Mastercard digital initiative to benefit Kenyan students, highlighting growing commitment to digital skills and education tech.

Title:

Content: Kenyan students to benefit from Sh33b Mastercard digital scheme

Kenyan students will be among 10,000 young people from across Africa set to benefit from a $275 million (Sh33 billion) digital transformation investment programme in Africa by the MasterCard Foundation.

The foundation, in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University and the Rwandan government, has announced a partnership deal aimed at scaling up opportunities for young people from economically disadvantaged communities on the continent.

The University of Nairobi is among the universities recently added to the African Engineering and Technology Network (Afretec) and set to benefit from the partnership.

In the deal, the foundation will invest $175 (Sh21 billion) in grants to fund Carnegie Mellon University-Africa (CMU-Africa), based in Rwanda, and another $100.7 (Sh12 billion) to fund CMU-Africa’s Centre for the Inclusive Digital Transformation of Africa.

CMU-Africa, on the other hand, will expand its instructional capacity, grow the annual cohort of students by more than 33 percent and provide additional financial assistance to more students.

Some 300 students will get direct scholarship support.

The university will also run programmes to recruit and provide opportunities for marginalised groups, including women, people with disabilities and the displaced.

In his speech, Mastercard Foundation president and CEO Reeta Roy said scholars and graduates from this programme will be at the forefront of creating technologies and companies that will generate jobs and enhance Africa's economic competitiveness

“We are excited that this initiative will strengthen the role of African universities in developing the continent's scientists, innovators, and problem-solvers, as well as generating knowledge that will benefit society more broadly,” Mr Roy said.

For his part Mr Farnam Jahanian, president of Carnegie Mellon University, said the investment will provide an opportunity to 10,000 young people to gain the skills to compete in the global marketplace, innovate, design new tools that solve regional and global challenges and bring those tools to the market.

“With this new collaboration, we will accelerate our shared mission and provide life-changing educational and career experiences for students across the continent,” Mr Jahanian said.

Among the opportunities for beneficiaries, particularly young women, young people with disabilities and forcibly displaced young people, are financial assistance to enroll at CMU-Africa, research collaborations through the Afretec network of higher learning institutions and pilot programmes for English-language immersions.

They will be offered to undergraduate students from other African universities to help prepare them for graduate study.

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What trends are emerging for African startups in 2022?

Which African countries are driving the venture capital ecosystem?

- Major infrastructure projects, such as Rwanda's plan to connect 3,000 schools to the internet via China Exim Bank and World Bank funding, show foreign capital flows into Africa’s education and digital connectivity sectors.

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Content: Lire en français

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22 FEBRUARY, 2023

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Good morning 🌞

Guess who’s ironing their voting pants?

The Nigerian elections are just two days away and everyone’s counting down to D-day, even the TikTokers!

TikTok launched a Nigeria election hub weeks ago. The hub’s got a timer ticking down to D-day, a polling unit locator, a fact-checker, a voting manual, and a bunch more juicy deets.

Here’s how TechCabal reporter, Ngozi Chukwu, used the hub to find her polling unit!

BOLT LAYS OFF 24% OF NIGERIAN STAFF

Days after pledging $530 million to creating jobs on the continent, ride-hailing platform Bolt has laid off 17 of its 70 employees in Nigeria.

The job cuts reportedly came as a surprise and affected mostly junior and mid-senior members of the operations team.

Why was it particularly surprising?

A few days ago, Bolt CEO Markus Villig pledged to invest $500 million in African operations to expand the platform and create opportunities for over 300,000 new drivers and couriers to join the platform in 2023.

Moreover, the company had told the employees that there would be an internal team restructuring and the creation of new roles and departments. Naturally, the employees were shocked to learn that 24% of the team would be laid off due to redundancies. Sources confirmed that the layoffs were indeed not performance-based.

Bolt’s severance terms include one month’s pay, three months of health insurance, and in some cases, leave allowance.

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KENYA TO BAN SALE OF NON-IPV6 DEVICES THIS YEAR

Kenya’s Communications Authority (CA) has announced its IPv4 to IPv6 migration strategy, and it’s the technical equivalent of a bouncer checking IDs at the door.

Sidebar: An IP (Internet Protocol) is like the highway for devices to communicate with each other on a network. IPv4 has been holding it down since 1983, but with the growing number of devices out there, it’s starting to hit some traffic. IPv6 is the bigger, better highway that’s here to save the day. While IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses, IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses, providing more space for devices to have their own unique addresses. IPv4 has a limit of 4.3 billion unique addresses, but with IPv6, we’re talking about approximately 3.4 x 1028 unique addresses. That means every single device can have its own unique address.

However, the uptake of IPv6 has been slow. IPv6 adoption rates for Kenya are reportedly under 8%, Uganda at 0.3 %, Tanzania at 0.11%, Rwanda at 6.34 %, and Burundi and South Sudan at 0%. Per Techweez, Kenya’s CA is taking regulatory measures to change the tides such as banning the sale of mobile phones, computers, printers, and scanners that don’t have IPv6 capability from July 2023. That means no more devices with old-school IPv4 addresses will be sold, including mobile phones, computers, printers, and scanners.

According to the CA, if more Kenyans don’t hop on the IPv6 train, the ICT sector will experience slow internet speeds and delayed tech advances.

SONATEL FALLS VICTIM TO $200,000 HACK

Senegalese telco leader Sonatel, recently, discovered a hack in its systems that cost it CFA143 million ($200,000).

According to Africa Cybersecurity Magazine, infamous hacker Massa Diouf infiltrated the company’s system and transferred amounts totalling $200,000 via mobile money app Andadoo.

Sonatel discovered the hack in January of this year and initiated an internal audit that led to the discovery of Diouf’s hacks.

The investigation also led the company to Orange money reseller Oulimata Diagne to whom Diouf had reportedly transferred the money. Upon her arrest, Diagne denied collaborating with Diouf to defraud Sonatel, but confessed to helping him resell the currency.

At this moment, it is unclear whether Diouf has been apprehended.

In more fraud and hacking news: In anglophone West Africa, the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB) is probing two banks—Zenith and Guaranty Trust Bank—for allegations of data breach. According to the NDBP, Nigerian banks haven’t taken data protection as seriously as they should with the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) suffering 46,126 attacks by hackers within nine months—91% of which were successful.

RWANDA PLANS TO CONNECT 3,000 SCHOOLS TO THE INTERNET

According to Paula Ingabire, Rwanda’s Minister for ICT and Innovation, the country plans to connect 3,000 schools to the internet by 2024.

The project will be financed by the China Exim Bank and the World Bank.

An urgent problem to solve

According to Ingabire, 41%—about 3,000—of Rwanda’s 6,756 schools are not connected to the internet.

The Rwandan government plans to connect all the remaining schools to the internet under the Smart Education Project.

With over 3.54 million internet users, Rwanda’s internet penetration stands at 31% as per 2020 figures, much lower than Morocco’s 84% or South Africa’s 68%. This project should improve that number, and see more Rwandans gaining access to the internet.

EVENT: AUSTINSPIRE BUSINESS INCUBATION CENTRE

The AUSTInspire Business Incubation Centre in collaboration with @cchubnigeria is bringing innovation to the African University of Science and Technology through an AfDB-funded project.

As it officially opens the doors to the innovation ecosystem, the Centre looks forward to driving innovation and supporting startups in Africa.

Join the launch by 10 AM (WAT) today, Wednesday, February 22, at the NNPC hall, African University of Science and Technology (AUST) in Abuja, Nigeria.

For more information please call Joy Sani on +234 901 936 3183.

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  • Do you have what it takes to become the next supplier to leading South African enterprises in the furniture sector? Apply for the 2023 eThekwini Furniture Cluster Acceleration Programme. Apply by February 28.
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Which sectors are Chinese investments in Africa focusing on?

- Bolt, a European ride-hailing company, pledged $530 million for job creation across Africa, reflecting robust investment in mobility tech, despite some operational challenges (layoffs in Nigeria).

What trends are emerging for African startups in 2022?

Which countries are actively investing in Africa besides China?

- Africa is seeing significant investments in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and Free Trade Zones, intended to boost industrialization and attract manufacturing, technology, and service companies by offering regulatory and tax incentives.

Title:

Content: Free zones may be Africa’s best chance to accelerate wealth creation

By Sylvia Brune

Co-founder of AHOY – a flight booking and concierge app – Sylvia Brune discusses why free zones may be Africa’s best chance to accelerate wealth.

Given the demand for goods and services from Africa’s growing middle classes, the continent has huge potential for growth. Over the past year, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Africa grew by 11%, bucking the global trend and potentially setting a bright precedent for the future.

Whether this upwards trend in FDI will have a positive effect on growth and wealth creation is, however, still unknown. Studies have shown that capital has little impact on an undeveloped foundation. Key components needed to enhance capital’s productivity are infrastructure (not just physical), a stable and transparent legal framework, and skilled labour.

Where these are lacking, investors into the continent have to first ‘build’ the commercial foundation, before commencing their projects. Like spending money on hiring advisors, lawyers, and accountants to navigate the various countries’ economic environments, political systems, and bureaucracy. This adds time and uncertainty to projects, acting as an effective ‘tax’ on any return on investment - meaning only projects with a very high upside will be embarked upon.

Evidence suggests that these key components are indeed lacking across most of Africa, albeit with a small handful of countries on the road to improvement.

Countries, like Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire, have made important strides to improve anti-corruption institutions. Cabo Verde and Gambia have managed to gain local trust with 85% and 84% believing their government is fundamentally sound. And Mauritius and Rwanda have made it into the top 35 countries in the world as measured by economic and personal freedom, with Mauritius marginally beating Norway in the global ranking.

The reality is, however, that corruption continues to undermine the rule of law across most of Africa (which hosts 13 of the globe’s 20 most corrupt countries). Rule of law relates to strong property rights, government integrity, and judicial effectiveness - the basis for a sound investment environment. What is even worse than corruption’s effect on FDI, though, is its effect on retaining and developing talent.

Instability and lack of opportunity continues to result in brain-drain - drawing talent and skill away from the continent. The World Bank estimates one-in-nine Africans with a tertiary education live away from Africa – a 50% growth since the mid-00s.

So, what’s the solution?

Given the long, tough road ahead towards building economically sound environments across Africa, I believe the only solution in the short run, is establishing 100s of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) throughout the continent.

For those unfamiliar with SEZs, they are areas which operate under a different legal framework to the country they inhabit – with investment-friendly laws around commercial transactions, taxes, and the protection of private property. SEZs’ advantage is that you avoid building on top of broken legacy system, instead creating a pre-packaged, investor-ready climate.

These zones have been successfully tested and run in China and the Four Tigers (Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan) to attract considerable FDI, and experience decades of double-digit growth. This format could likewise be used to boost and sustain investor interest in Africa.

SEE ALSO:

SEZs as talent hubs

While SEZs are known mostly as attractive investment environments, with conducive infrastructure and legal frameworks, the secret to their success rate is actually in their ability to attract and retain talent and skilled labour in specialised hubs.

China showed just how powerful an industry focus within SEZs can be. Because they provide a magnetic effect of highly specialised knowledge hubs - comprised of domestic, regional, and international talent.

Capital is like fuel, it’s only effective where there is a flame to throw it on. And that flame is talent.

The potential is clear, and I believe Africa has a burgeoning pool of talent waiting to be tapped into. But whether they are able to put their talents to best use, collaborate, and innovate freely is uncertain, and will determine whether they stay, or search for opportunities elsewhere.

A common hurdle, for example, is work visa rules between African countries, which means it’s easier for talent to find good opportunities outside Africa than within Africa. Talented individuals want to work alongside other talent. Similarly, talent and specialists from outside Africa face considerable barriers when trying to obtain work permits.

For example, Mr. Eazi’s emPawa Masterclass, like many creative undertakings, is dependent on bringing together the best talent. Earlier this year, emPawa struggled to bring artists, producers, and mentors together from across Africa. Due to visa rules and uncertain processing times, some were only provided with visas after the masterclass was already over, some not at all.

Here, again, SEZs are a solution. SEZs are able to receive visa allocations relating to their area of specialisation, which increases the likelihood of collaboration and innovation - which in turn attracts capital.

The Andela example

There’s plenty of evidence that talent wants to stay, provided there are the right conditions to do so. A great example is tech recruitment platform Andela, which proves that when start-ups in Africa have access to the best talent, including a global support network, and then tap into local opportunity, they can raise substantial foreign capital, and the local business community benefits as well.

Andela trains candidates for six months before pairing them with clients, many are the Fortune 500 and a number of Silicon Valley start-ups. So far, more than 90% of Andela’s first batch of alumni are still working in Nigeria.

SEZs would be able to turbocharge the work of companies like Andela. After talent has been developed, they need environments where they can make most use of their skills.

Already, countries like Mauritius, Senegal, and Rwanda have and are in the process of creating SEZs, with the view to building infrastructure, a stable legal framework, and enticing skilled labour – it’s an exciting time and I for one, am eager to see the results as more African countries follow their footsteps.

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Which sectors are Chinese investments in Africa focusing on?

Which sectors received the most foreign investment?

- **Industrial Focus & Technology Transfer**
  - Technology transfer is increasingly prioritized, as shown by references to blockchain trials (e.g., crypto in Zanzibar tourism) and digital payment expansion (e.g., JumiaPay processing 36% of Jumia’s orders).

Which sectors are Chinese investments in Africa focusing on?

- Future investment trends emphasize automation, AI in payroll/HR management, and growing support for remote work via Employer of Record (EOR) services, making market entry easier for foreign companies.

- Growth sectors include education tech, fintech, logistics, mobility, and manufacturing, opening many avenues for business administration graduates.

Which sectors are Chinese investments in Africa focusing on?

- **Major Foreign Players & Partnerships**
  - Mastercard, Bolt, Jumia (pan-African e-commerce), and China Exim Bank are notable multinational investors.

What trends are emerging for African startups in 2022?

Which countries are actively investing in Africa besides China?

Which sectors are Chinese investments in Africa focusing on?

- EU Business School entered a partnership with the African Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Institute to support leadership development, indicating European engagement in African business education.

Title:

Content:
EU Business School Signs African Partner, Launches Elite Successors’ Programme

One of the Europe’s most prestigious Business Schools, the European Union (EU) Business School, has signed a collaboration agreement with the African Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Institute Ltd/ GTE of Nigeria.
In a packed event in Lagos recently, the President of the EU Business School, who was represented by Mr. Luis Fernando Aguilar Aivarez, Senior Regional Manager, stated that the Business School’s expansion into West Africa and Nigeria will afford Nigerian executives, professionals and students, extensive access to World class business.

He stressed that it will also afford them enterprise development education, which has otherwise been only available to citizens of the EU.
President of the EU Business School went further to commend the African Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Institute Lagos for investing in the structures and the technology required to support Nigerian and West African executives, professionals and students to undertake the world-class courses offered by the school.
Students, professionals and executives, a statement from the organisation said, have the unique option to study abroad at one of the three European campuses operated by the school.

It stated that these include Geneva Switzerland campus, Munich Germany campus and Barcelona Spain campus or they can participate fully in any of EU Business School’s Programmes by attending the Lagos Digital Campus operated in Lagos by the African Enterprise and Entrepr                                                                                eneurship Institute.
EU Business School is one of the most reputable privately owned European based Business training Institutions in the World today.
The higher education institution was founded in 1973 and it currently offers educative programmes that are exclusively related to the various aspects of business studies.

The EU business school is also offering strategic special short executive leadership and strategy programmes operated in collaboration with the African Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Institute of Nigeria.
These executive programmes, it said, include but are not limited to the “elite successors” programmes  which are designed to support designated successors to build sustainable enterprises beyond the original founders’ dreams.
trategic emphasis, it stressed, is placed on disruptive markets, new job creation, and technologies to watch.
The Founder and President of the African Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Institute, Dr Nicky Okoye, said: “We are very proud of our collaboration with the EU Business School.

“We expect that this dynamic relationship will unlock strategic value for many Nigerian and African executives, professionals and students seeking an affordable world class education going forward.
“Our Lagos digital campus provides Nigerian students and executives with the rear opportunity and privilege to cut their foreign study costs by almost 80 per cent, and they still get the opportunity to graduate at the Gevena Switzerland campus.

“We are particularly excited that our ‘elite successors’ programme will hosted at the Gevena campus of the EU Business School, giving Nigerian and African conglomerates as well as family businesses the privilege and rear opportunity to prepare their designated successors for the challenges of business growth well into the future. “
 Okoye is a co-founder of Transcorp Plc and he served as Transcorp Plc’s first Group Executive Director Operations and Strategy. He led Transcorp Plc’s initial fund raising efforts which succeeded in raising an  unprecedented $1 billion, over a short 12-month period.

Related Articles

Which countries are actively investing in Africa besides China?

- Partnerships often involve African institutions (e.g., local banks, start-ups, educational organizations) working jointly with international firms, as seen in angel investor ecosystems like the Africa Business Angel Network (ABAN).

- **Local Entities & Investment Vehicles**
  - African angels and enterprise networks (e.g., ABAN) are increasingly collaborating with global investors to fund startups and SMEs.

Title:

Content: Laila Macharia: Inside the mind of top investor

From her 14th-floor corner office at the I&M Bank Tower, Laila Macharia has an eagle’s view of Nairobi’s bustling central business district (CBD).

This vantage point in a way mirrors her place among the top dealmakers in Kenya’s corporate boardrooms and investing circles.

Her staying power, she points out, lies in being a meticulous strategic planner able to conceptualise and mid-wife a vision where others fail.

“I’ve taken this for granted at times, but over time, I’ve realised that it’s a skill that many don’t have. Some people may have the vision, but that ability to break it down and get results is what I’m good at,” she tells Enterprise.

For over two decades now, Dr Macharia has established herself as a serial entrepreneur and angel investor with a vast interest in the creative industry, technology, real estate and high finance in the US and East Africa.

An angel investor is a wealthy private investor focused on financing small business ventures in exchange for equity.

She is currently the vice chairperson of the board of Centum Investments - Kenya’s largest publicly traded investments group with a Sh47 billion asset base and is also a non-executive director of Absa Bank Kenya.

CrossHead here

She is the founder of Scion Real Estate Ltd, an advisory firm covering financial services, infrastructure and property investment, which has raised over Sh3.6 billion for various property developments.

Her crown jewel is the Africa Digital Media Institute (ADMI), which trains creative entrepreneurs where she bought a significant stake seven years ago and has helped steer it into one of the region’s top professional schools.

The 10-year-old institution was recently announced as the winner of the Digital Transformation category for Top 100 mid-sized companies in 2022.

Macharia traces her business acumen to a young age, selling artwork back in high school. Back then, she was a playwright, violin player and orator.

Her adventure began when she was sent to university abroad in the early 90s. She recalls that software engineering was then the “big thing” and she took a few classes but wasn’t eager to pursue it as a career.

“I didn’t enjoy it and realised that it wasn’t for me. I’m motivated by seeing people’s lives changed… I moved to planning and public policy, and that’s where I found my space,” she says of her student days at the University of Oregon in the US.

Afterwards, she went to law school, which turned out to be a life-changing experience and would work for a top law firm in New York.

“This was a random decision that has served me well as law underpins policy. it’s good with writing, advocacy and logic. All of those fed into my strategy,” says Macharia in hindsight.

She was keen on human rights law, which saw her do an internship in South Africa just before their seminal election that ushered in black rule and was involved in prisoner’s and women’s rights.

This was an eye-opening experience for a 22-year-old.

CrossHead here

Macharia’s legal foray would also see her work at Clifford Chance, a New York law firm as a corporate finance associate where she helped coordinate a $5 billion (Sh605 billion) bond financing programme, among other high-level transactions.

While in the US, she didn’t sit pretty, with the entrepreneurial bug leading her to real estate.

She would renovate houses and lease them out to the US government under the Section 8 housing programme, which offered low-income housing.

However, it was a class she took that would set her on a full-blown entrepreneurship path after discovering how business can greatly transform lives.

One of her professors introduced the class to a case study on how the newly industrialised countries of South East Asia such as Singapore had managed to lift millions out of poverty in less than a generation.

“I realised that the heart of that (economic miracle of the Asian tigers) is business. That you cannot do it through grants. No matter how you love people, charity is not sustainable, what you do is grow the economy and create jobs and once people have jobs they can start moving up,” she explains.

She also credits her parents with instilling values of hard work, and integrity and also allowing her to flourish independently at a young age.

Her mother was one of the first indigenous female bankers and had served as the head of foreign exchange at the Central Bank of Kenya, while her father was the first director of adult education in the country as part of educational reforms in independent Kenya.

After 14 years in the US, Macharia returned to Kenya in 2003 amid an air of optimism that came in with the Mwai Kibaki regime after years of stifled growth.

In this expanding economy, she saw the opportunity in real estate and would go on to make a mark with her firm, Scion.

CrossHead here

However, business wasn’t as smooth compared to the US where there was facilitation from all fronts, including market research and access to credit.

“The market there is so efficient and information is plentiful that one can strategise, so when investing you know what’s going to happen and what price you’re going to get,” she notes.

This explains why she joined hands with others to create the Kenya Property Developers Association (KPDA), a real estate industry lobby group.

The team was instrumental in the early reforms of KPDA including helping with policy analysis, e-construction permits, a code of ethics for builders and the development of real investment trusts (Reits) regulations, among others.

Soon enough, Macharia would broaden her horizons and venture into the larger investment space as an investor and also join various boards such as the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (Kepsa).

“I have a bird’s eye view of the economy and how business is happening, how businesses are doing and how financing works, which is very exciting,” she says of her current boardroom stints.

As an angel investor, she’s invested in over 20 companies and is part of outfits such as the Africa Business Angel Network (ABAN).

Her biggest investment is ADMI, whose founder Wilfred Kiumi was introduced to her by a person in her church and would soon strike a business partnership after a few months.

ADMI was then known as the Jamhuri Film and Television Academy.

Within a few months, the founder managed to convince Macharia to invest in the institution.

“He (Kiumi) convinced me to invest in what was a relatively small investment in the beginning, but we hung together. It’s been 10 years for him and seven for me, and the company has become something for the economy and community,” she says.

She notes that the institution came at a time when the creative sector was transitioning and becoming more digital and lucrative.

Creatives were renowned for being ignorant of business and the school wanted to change this. This would be done by building on their soft skills, discipline and image and delivering profit and impact.

“Creativity, technology and business are a powerful combination because you see your talent as an asset,” she points out.

“And now we have a market across the world and have different niche audiences and not only can people find you but you can also find your tribe.”

Macharia says that the school’s pedagogy was arrived at after talking to creatives, media houses and employers about the type of worker they desired.

Their certification is global, meaning students can work anywhere in the world with their learning global, digital and value-based. It targets mostly high school leavers and prepares them for the modern workplace.

ADMI began as a dream to train and empower Kenyan filmmakers and since its inception, it has trained over 3,000 creatives in Africa and beyond. It has since expanded into a wide range of courses, including digital journalism, photography, sound engineering and animation.

The firm also has a programme for young children aimed at preparing them early for digital transformation and is also big on the upskilling for professionals to help boost their careers.

It is set to offer a metaverse academy as the digital world shifts to virtual and augmented reality.

Macharia says that her mission is to skill Africa for that global demand and help eradicate unemployment and hopes that Technical and Vocational Education and Training Institutes (TVETs) will be embraced more to bridge the skills gap in a market-relevant way.

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What trends are emerging for African startups in 2022?

- Regional governments are key facilitators, offering targeted incentives, regulatory reforms, and infrastructure to attract FDI.

- Public-private partnerships are common, especially in technology adoption and upskilling initiatives.

- **Talent & Employment Impact**
  - Foreign investment is tied to job growth, skill development, and innovation.

What is the impact of Chinese companies on jobs in Africa?

- Flexible and scalable employment solutions (like EOR services) are becoming common, enabling international companies to operate easily in African markets.

Which sectors received the most foreign investment?

- **Future Projections**
  - Projections see continued growth in FDI with a focus on technology, green energy, logistics, and business services.

Which sectors are Chinese investments in Africa focusing on?

- Demand is expected to grow for African graduates with business, tech, and entrepreneurial skills.

Title:

Content: Technology transfer essential to unlocking jobs for African youths

25 Nov, 2022 - 00:11 0 Views
Ezekiel Machogu

The Herald

NAIROBI. – The young and expanding working-age population in Africa has been identified as the force which will drive the continent’s technological growth if properly harnessed. During an event held in Nairobi, Kenya on Tuesday to award students in technology, speakers said to remain competitive in the employment market, it is vital for African youth to gain new tech skills since they are the continent’s most valuable asset.

They were speaking at the awards ceremony of the seventh Africa Tech Challenge competition, sponsored by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China Limited in partnership with China’s embassy in Nairobi.

While addressing attendees during the awards ceremony in the Kenyan capital, Zhou Meifen, cultural counselor at the Chinese embassy in Nairobi, said the competition is significant because it is an avenue to reduce unemployment through skill transfers.

She hailed the program for expanding since it was launched in 2014 to 248 institutions with a reach across 10 African countries. Zhou also promised the Chinese government’s support in increasing the number of scholarships awarded to students in the program to study in China.

The seventh season of the technology challenge targeted 259 contestants from Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Egypt, Zambia and Zimbabwe, with the top six teams walking away with numerous prizes. Titled ‘Limitless innovation’, this year’s competition focused on the rapidly developing construction industry, notably the design component. 65 teams from 45 schools took part in the competition.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Xu Fei, AVIC vice-president for East and Central Africa, said the competition had made a comeback after a hiatus in the 2020/2021 season due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This season’s training was done online using an AVIC online learning platform. Following successful completion of online training, the participants will be provided with interview opportunities for internships or jobs. This is in addition to scholarships to pursue further studies at top institutions in China,” Xu said.

He added over the last six years, AVIC has devoted resources to providing essential skills to African youth for the modern job market through training and equipping technological institutions with the latest machines.

Ezekiel Machogu, Kenya’s minister for education, expressed pride in his ministry’s partnership with the Africa Tech Challenge program and encouraged more Chinese enterprises to invest in upskilling African youth as a way to spur employment and entrepreneurship.

“The Africa Tech Challenge has been instrumental in equipping our technical and vocational education and training institutions which have started manufacturing machine spare parts, some of which were exported to China,” Machogu said.

“We welcome more participants from the private sector including Chinese investors to participate in programs like the Africa Tech Challenge, which not only create employment but transfer the necessary skills for our young people to be entrepreneurs by opening businesses through the skills they acquire.”

The overall award in this year’s competition went to Luyanzi Institute of Technology from Uganda. – ChinaDaily.com

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Which sectors are Chinese investments in Africa focusing on?

**Key Takeaway for Students:**
Africa’s FDI landscape is dynamic and expanding, driven by technology, education, and new business models.

What trends are emerging for African startups in 2022?

Which sectors are Chinese investments in Africa focusing on?

Career opportunities are rich in sectors like fintech, digital services, logistics, and international business development.

Which sectors are Chinese investments in Africa focusing on?

Which sectors received the most foreign investment?

Strategic partnerships, public-private initiatives, and increasing access to capital provide robust avenues for graduates to participate in and benefit from Africa’s economic development.

---

This summary offers actionable insights and figures to inspire confidence and career planning among University of Nairobi’s business administration students.

**Summary: Foreign Investment in Africa – Recent Trends and Developments**

1.

Title:

Content: Jose Fernando Sambu: Russia needs Africa, and Africa needs Russia - 07.10.2023 Ukraine.ru
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Jose Fernando Sambu: Russia needs Africa and Africa needs Russia
© screenshot video Ukraine.RuJose Fernando Sambu interview
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African countries with large resources do not need assistance, but rather mutually beneficial cooperation.
It is not in relations with the West, but Russia behaves quite differently, according to the consultant on interaction with Africa Jose Fernando Samba.
He said this in an interview with Ukraina.Ru.
- Jose, let's talk about the relationship between Russia and Africa.
They have recently become more relevant than ever.
A lot of attention to this topic.
Tell us which countries are the main partners of the Russian Federation, and what are the main areas of cooperation.
Let ’ s start with political, economic and military.
- I would say that relations between Russia and Africa have a very long history and have always been multipolar.
If we recall the Soviet Union, we remember very well how it played a huge role during the liberation of African countries from Western colonialism.
We can look at the current stages, as cooperation is expanding significantly now, and Russia is now cooperating with many countries in Africa – in the humanitarian and economic spheres, in the sphere of ensuring security, which is important, and in other areas.
Now we see which countries are showing interest in relations and cooperation with Russia, for example, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea and other countries.
Recently, we have seen the activity of the countries I mentioned above.
Despite Western pressure, they have publicly shown the world that they are willing and willing to cooperate with Russia.
And this is not only these countries, but also many other African countries that want to cooperate with Russia.
- You mentioned how the Soviet Union managed to help many African countries to free themselves from Western influence.
Now it is time to liberate countries from the influence of the West.
How many more countries on the African continent have to escape from this influence?
- I think it is no secret that there are many African countries free from Western colonialism, but there is still neo-colonialism.
That is, economic dependence is still noticeable in different countries.
For example, in West African countries, they still have French currency.
This shows how much these countries are still dependent on Western colonialism.
"The Burning Streets of Paris."
The political scientist said that will begin if there is an invasion of Niger Niger is part of the French colonial system.
Therefore, the coup d'état dealt a serious blow to Paris, because it produces uranium for French nuclear power plants.
This was told in an interview with the publication Ukraina.ru political scientist Yuri Baranchik
They said conditionally that these countries are free, but in fact they are not, because basic freedom, we still do not notice it... because decisions at the political level still depend on Western countries.
It's not freedom.
Therefore, naturally, I would say that this is a smooth transition to multipolarity, namely to the economic freedom of African countries.
If we now notice what is happening in Western countries and other countries, I mean Western African countries, this is really a new era.
We are now looking for a new era.
We cannot feed the Western countries because we ourselves are poor.
It ’ s time for a second independence.
- Now there was a series of coups, anti-Western, anti-French in the first place, and the West does not like it very much.
How likely is the option of military counteraction on the African continent?
- I would now mention the Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin: "Like it, do not like it - bear it, my beauty."
It certainly has to be so.
Take the example of Niger.
See how the people of Niger live.
It's very sad.
Therefore, it was necessary to make such a decision in order to finally liberate all this territory from French influence.
Burkina Faso, we understood very well what had happened.
But it's necessary.
Now we are looking for a new Africa.
It is for other countries in Africa to take an example from these countries.
It is one thing – there are many people trying to explain this situation by the fact that we support the military regime in the country.
But these are two completely different things.
It is one thing to support the military regime, another to support the liberation of countries from Western influence.
Because it has never been profitable for us (Western influence – Ed.), and it will never be profitable.
So it is time to finally liberate Africa from the Western colonialists.
– If we remember the Soviet terminology – from the Western exploiters, this formulation is the most correct.
Tell us about cultural, creative exchange, humanitarian interaction.
I understand that you yourself came here primarily for study.
- Yes.
I would say that the main sphere of cooperation between Russia and Africa since the time of the Soviet Union is the humanitarian sphere.
If we take figures, for example, we will see how the number of budget places (in universities – Ed.) that Russia allocates to African countries is growing.
Before, there were probably a hundred students, and now there are more than three thousand.
And after the St. Petersburg summit, a public statement was made that this quota was increasing.
That's good.
Today, a lot of Africans show a desire to study, to receive Russian education.
And many of the Africans want to build their professional careers in Russia.
Irina Abramova: In twenty years, Africa will take the same place that China and India occupy today At the twentieth annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club, one of the actively discussed topics was the formation of a multipolar world.
As part of this process, Russia pays increasing attention to the development of relations with the countries of the African continent.
On the other hand, and this is very pleasant, it is very important for us that Russia is participating in the process of training, in the training of personnel who will contribute to the development of the African continent in the future.
When we send students to Western countries now, we will probably never have the Africa we want, because we will always be pro-Western.
And if we are constantly pro-Western, it will never allow Africa to develop.
And we already need to come to a stage where we should (cooperate – Ed.) also with others – take the example of world leaders, we also want to strive for this.
For this to happen, we clearly need to liberate Africa from Western imperialism.
Why do those who go to study in the West become agents of Western influence, and those who go to study in Russia come back and work for the benefit of Africa?
– This is the main interest when a country gives a place for training (to people – Ed.) of another contingent.
Here is the basic policy.
I was studying in Russia now.
Of course, I understand that the policy pursued by Western countries, this policy never helps your country to develop.
What am I supposed to do?
We need to find allies with whom we will unite and fight against it.
I have many friends in other countries, I understand them, they are pro-Western, but I am pro-Russian.
It's normal.
This is the main policy, why it is very important that Africans receive a lot of quotas in Russia – because this is the only way we can create an alliance to pull this continent out of the clutches of Western imperialism.
Tell me a little about yourself.
How long ago did you come here, why and when did you decide to enter the university in Russia?
And how do you live here?
- In Russia, I was five or six years old, came to study in the Astrakhan region, then moved to Moscow.
I have long dreamed of coming to Russia to study, because I never liked Western politics.
I have always been interested in coming to Russia to study the political system and the state system.
I have always been interested in Russia ’ s policy towards other countries.
If you pay attention, Russia never interferes in the affairs of other countries.
On the contrary, whenever something happens, Russia is always ready to help.
This system since the days of the Soviet Union, communism still – it is very cool.
I was educated in Astrakhan, I live in Russia, I do not complain.
I love the country, I love Russia.
But the homeland is always your homeland, it must not be forgotten.
But I am very grateful to Russia.
And here we are at a stage where we must fight shoulder to shoulder for freedom against Western imperialism.
We all see what is happening now in Ukraine and in other countries, we see how Western countries are actively promoting their interests in various parts of the world.
Wherever it is, we will see the presence of Western countries – everywhere they try (to promote their interests – Ed.).
Now that we're doing this, we're moving shoulder to shoulder...
I always say that Russia needs Africa, and Africa needs Russia. Why?
The problem here is not that we do not want to cooperate more with Western countries, indeed, it would be better.
But why so?
Because we do not see the mutual benefit of cooperation between the West and African countries.
We do not see mutual aid, there is no mutual benefit.
Russia is entering Africa in a new way for a long time.
It became clear why French President Emmanuel Macron suddenly announced that by the end of the year his country will withdraw its troops from Niger, because from now on it will conduct a new balanced policy in Africa.
When it doesn ’ t, when only the West wins, and we don ’ t win anything, we don ’ t need it.
Conventionally, as they say, “we are helping Africa. ”
We do not need help, but we need a truly mutually beneficial cooperation.
We have a resource, the only thing that is missing is the lack of technology to develop this resource.
Who has the technology?
We have a resource, of course, that no one needs help here, but we need cooperation, we need really mutually beneficial cooperation so that we all win.
That is, we have a resource, you have technology, there is a mutually beneficial interest.
Therefore, there is a big difference between cooperation with Russia and cooperation with Western countries.
- The same uranium France received not at all at the market price.
- Yes.
If you remember when there were coups in other African countries – Mali, Gabon – there was silence.
And when I was in Niger, we all saw what resonance around the world went.
This is because France has its own interests in Niger.
The price at which they buy this uranium is not supposed (understated – Ed.).
Naturally, it would not be good for them to stop all this... let's say, to derail their cooperation with Niger.
And we see how they tried through African organizations to get them there... I remember that there was a discussion - to send their troops there.
They force Africans to fight for the interests of the West.
It's very sad.
- Ukraine was forced, they are trying to force now to provoke such a thing in Africa.
“That ’ s why I say we should never allow what is happening in Ukraine.
We should never let that happen.
Something similar happened in Libya.
Look at how people live in Libya.
It's very sad.
And you can't make that mistake again.
I remember Macron saying that if the leaders of African countries are not involved in this issue now, then this coup may also be in other countries.
Anyone who understands will understand perfectly well that this is not the main goal, why they said it.
The main goal was that they get uranium for an undue price, and they don ’ t want to lose that opportunity.
Tell me about your home country.
You're from Guinea-Bissau, this is West Africa.
How common are such views as yours, and how strong is the influence of the West in West Africa, in particular in your country?
- I am from Guinea-Bissau, it is a small country in western Africa, we have a population of two and a half million.
I would say that most countries in West Africa have also faced situations similar to those faced by other countries.
They must also be freed from Western colonialism.
Neo-colonization of climate.
In a series of recent events, public attention was focused on those tectonic shifts that occurred in geopolitics and, as it were, marked an increase in the role of the Global South in world politics, which was clearly regarded as a departure from neo-colonialism.
The main countries of West Africa are under French influence, starting with the currency.
We still have the French currency.
We have Frank Sefa, but it is the French currency.
Why should we continue to cooperate with France for many years, which gives us nothing, on the contrary - we give it?
That's a big question.
Why can ’ t the leaders of Western countries finally end this situation?
We are a former colony of Portugal.
Most countries in West Africa, their political decisions, are influenced by the West.
If we take an example, recently at the summit that was in Sochi, compared to the summit that was in St. Petersburg, there were not so many people that we would expect.
This is because most of these countries are under Western influence.
They don't make their decisions...
This means that we are supposedly free, but there is still some influence of Western countries.
Therefore, I would say that - yes, this is my country, as I say, the homeland is always the homeland, I love my country, but there are political problems where urgent solutions are required.
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**Geopolitical Diversification & New Partners**
   - Africa is increasingly at the center of a multipolar global landscape, attracting not just traditional powers (US, France), but also Russia, China, and India.

Which Asian countries are investing in Africa?

Which countries are actively investing in Africa besides China?

- Russia is reinvigorating its economic and political partnerships across Africa, especially with countries like Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, Eritrea, Niger, and Zimbabwe, seeking alternatives to Western-led models of development.

Title:

Content: PhosAgro launched an educational platform for farmers in Africa - RIA Novosti, 29.07.2023
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PhosAgro launches educational platform for farmers in Africa
PhosAgro launches digital education platform for African farmers
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MOSCOW, July 29 - RIA Novosti.
PhosAgro, one of the largest Russian producers of phosphate-based fertilizers, has launched a digital educational platform for African farmers Pro Agro Lectorium, Deputy Director General for Sales, Marketing and Logistics of PhosAgro PJSC Mikhail Sterkin said during the second summit, the Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum.
According to the press service of the company, this platform includes digitized lectures on various topics: sustainable agriculture, the basics of mineral nutrition of plants, the correct use of mineral fertilizers to achieve food security, obtaining crop products with high consumer qualities.
The lecturers of the educational program are PhosAgro experts, leading scientists from the Russian Academy of Sciences, RSAU MSHA them.
Timiryazev and other agricultural universities, as well as top managers and experts of key agricultural enterprises of the world.
“Africa today is the fastest growing continent.
By 2050, the population of Africa will double, one in four people on Earth will call Africa their home.
In order to feed the rapidly growing population, the continent needs to create sustainable, high-performance agriculture now.
As the largest Russian supplier of fertilizers to African countries - our share is equal to 33% of the total volume of Russian exports - we are aware that the introduction of innovations in Africa is impossible without relying on local personnel, "Sterkin said.
Results of the Second Russia-Africa Summit
According to him, therefore, within the framework of the Russia-Africa summit, PhosAgro launches a lecture platform Pro Agro Lectorium.
With the launch of the platform, farmers in Africa will be able to access the accumulated knowledge of PhosAgro experts, Russian scientists, top managers and experts from leading agricultural enterprises directly from the screen.
"We expect that this service will become a useful tool in the formation of a sustainable model of modern agriculture in Africa and ensuring food security of the continent," concluded the Deputy Director General of PhosAgro.
The second summit and economic and humanitarian forum "Russia - Africa" was held on July 27-28 in St. Petersburg.
RIA Novosti is the information partner of the event.
More than weapons: why Africa needs Russia and Russia needs Africa
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**Key Sectors of Investment**
   - **Agriculture:** Russia and India have expressed intent to boost investment in African agriculture.

Which Asian countries are investing in Africa?

Which sectors received the most foreign investment?

Notably, Russian companies have launched digital education platforms for African farmers.

- **Energy:** India is investing in renewable energy, building a major solar power plant in Mozambique aimed at making Southern Africa a hub for renewables.

Title:

Content: Mahatma Gandhi
Despite the close attention of all the world media to the problems of Syria, refugees and plane crashes, events continue to occur on other continents.
And even if today they do not seem to be events of the first row, they will have a huge contribution to history.
The situation is reminiscent of Houdini ’ s tricks: once a magician took an elephant into a large box, and in a moment the animal disappeared.
According to Houdini ’ s sign, the white veil was pulled off, and the elephant covered with a black veil was invisible against a black background.
So the whole continent turned out to be “invisible ” to the world media against the background of terrorists, explosions, endless elections.
Building on the experience of the summits in New Delhi (2008) and Addis Ababa (2011), the Third Africa-India Forum Summit was recently held with the participation of 54 African countries.
On October 29, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with African leaders.
Given the range of issues discussed, the meeting was a huge step forward in the growing engagement of India and Africa.
At the global level, Indian and African leaders are pushing for governance reforms and advocating the inclusion of India and at least two African states as permanent members of the UN Security Council.
The issue of global warming was touched upon, and a call was made to convene a meeting of “sun-rich ” countries ahead of the climate summit in Paris, which begins at the end of this month.
Political and energy security, the fight against terrorism, cooperation in the field of trade, investment, education and health were discussed.
India has announced a five-year loan of $10 billion.
In addition, India will offer $600 million in aid grants to the India-Africa Development Fund and $10 million to the India-Africa Health Fund.
India has also announced 50,000 scholarships for African students to continue their studies in India.
Some 137 projects were also created in 41 countries.
But let ’ s go a little deeper into the story.
As a result of the Cold War, many African countries joined the non-alignment movement initiated by Egypt, India and Yugoslavia.
Since the beginning of decolonization, India has exerted considerable political and ideological influence in Africa — as a model to follow.
But India ’ s ability to play a broader strategic role in Africa in the twentieth century was fraught with a number of challenges.
India ’ s influence was limited by the fiscal weakness of its domestic economic policies.
Adherence to the methods of non-violent resistance also did not contribute to the provision of military or any assistance in general to the national liberation movements of African countries.
However, despite all this, the leaders of the towering India, Gandhi and Nehru, their ideas of liberation and Afro-Asian unity influenced African independence fighters such as Albert Lutuli (South Africa), Nelson Mandela (South Africa), Julius Nyerere (Tanzania), Kenneth Kaunda (Zambia) and Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana).
After the won political battles for the liberation of Africa, the current predominance of economic factors in India-Africa relations has become logical.
As of 2011, India has become Africa ’ s fourth-largest trading partner after China, the EU and the US, while Africa has become India ’ s sixth-largest trading partner after the EU, China, the UAE, the US and ASEAN.
Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said: “Africa has all the prerequisites to become one of the main growth poles in the world in the twentieth century.
We will work with Africa to realize this potential. ”
At the India-Africa Forum Summit, held in New Delhi in April 2008, India offered for the first time a framework for South-South cooperation.
Since 1991, India ’ s economy has experienced significant growth of more than 6%.
And strategic resources, especially oil, have become an urgent necessity.
This has prompted India to actively forge relations with oil-rich countries such as South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Sudan, Nigeria and Angola.
The main minerals of Africa, such as uranium, gas, copper, iron ore, phosphates, platinum, are also of great interest to India.
In turn, Indian technology is suitable for tropical conditions and investment and is vital to Africa ’ s development.
Indian capital, both private and public, has long entered Africa.
India-Africa trade has grown 20-fold since 2000 and has doubled in the past five years, and now stands at $70 billion.
Of course, this is not an impressive figure compared to China, whose trade turnover with Africa is approximately $200 billion.
Even if India becomes a major trading nation with growing investment, it must contend for a place under the African sun with other formidable rivals such as China, Japan and South Korea.
Nevertheless, the moment is very opportune – a slowdown in the Chinese economy may open a window to Africa for India wider.
As trading peoples of the sea, India and African countries are seeking to strengthen their security.
India has been successful in confronting Somali pirates along the east coast, Mauritius, Seychelles, Djibouti and the western Indian Ocean.
In addition, the emergence of non-state transnational terrorist organizations, such as Al-Shabaab in East Africa and Boko Haram in Nigeria, as well as a variety of terrorist groups operating in India, is pushing both countries to join forces.
A number of countries, including Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Benin, have appealed to India for help in the fight against Islamic extremism.
“They asked India to help them build capacity in the defense sector and join forces against terrorism.
India has promised to help train soldiers to counter the insurgency, ” Indian official Sanjeev Koli told the Washington Post.
Arriving African students are respected in India, and it is they who are entrusted with the mission to establish a stronger link between the countries in the long term, given the youth population of the two countries.
India ’ s assistance also includes the establishment of technical institutes, educational institutions, hospitals and training programmes across Africa.
In addition, Indian medicines, because of their low cost, are actively used to combat HIV in Africa.
In Mozambique, India is building a solar power plant that will help southern Africa become a site of renewable energy.
Cameroon has asked India for help in the fight against Islamic extremist education.
In Ethiopia, Indian technical and financial assistance helped transform the country into a major sugar producer, creating tens of thousands of jobs.
In turn, India hopes for the support of African states in order to raise its status as a world power.
It also wants to make sure that it is not in the shadow of its neighbor and rival China.
Over the past decade, China has invested billions of dollars in Africa: roads, bridges and power plants have been built in exchange for access to markets and resources.
“It ’ s not just about China.
Other players are also active in the struggle for Africa ’ s resources: Japan, the United States and several emerging markets such as Malaysia, Brazil, Turkey, ” said Ruchita Bury, an African specialist at the New Delhi Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis, in an interview with the Washington Post.
The main items of Indian imports from Africa are resources and minerals, including crude oil, coal, precious stones and gold.
African countries are a market for Indian pharmaceuticals, vehicles and refined petroleum products.
India and many African countries “are the fastest growing emerging economies in the world, ” said Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj.
“Don ’ t forget, we were partners with Africa in capacity building.
We were among the first peacemakers.
We were with Africa in the fight against colonialism and apartheid and discrimination, ” adds diplomat Navteh Sarna.
South Sudan appealed to India for assistance in the development of livestock and livestock.
India, the world ’ s largest milk producer, agreed to provide experts.
In Mozambique, a solar power plant built by Indians will not only help the country use environmentally friendly solar energy, but is also expected to ensure the export of solar panels to neighboring countries.
India is also concerned about growing adoption (maybe expansion?)
China in the Indian Ocean.
China needs this region to provide access to energy from the Gulf and Africa.
Its concern grew especially sharply after Beijing announced plans to establish its first foreign military base in the tiny African state of Djibouti, located in the strategically important mouth of the Gulf of Aden.
However, Indian experts argue that not everything goes so well with the Chinese regarding Africa.
In particular, the use of Chinese labor in infrastructure projects is not always well received by many host countries, which are desperately trying to provide jobs primarily for their people.
In addition, Chinese workers ’ wages are often paid directly through China ’ s bank accounts, so local banks earn nothing.
And so the window to Africa for India remains half open.

Which Asian countries are investing in Africa?

Which countries are actively investing in Africa besides China?

Europe, U.S. Japan, South Korea, India
India

- **Education & Training:** Efforts include Russian language centers in Zimbabwe and partnerships to promote higher education—with increasing numbers of African students enrolling in Russian institutions (now over 3,000 from barely 100 previously).

Title:

Content: In Zimbabwe will open a center for the study of the Russian language
The University of Zimbabwe will soon open a center for the study of the Russian language.
This was announced by the Minister of Higher Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development of the country Amon Murvira in a conversation with RIA Novosti.
He recalled that until now it was possible to learn Russian only at the courses at the embassy.
Over the past 5 years, several key memorandums of understanding have been signed between Russia and Zimbabwe in the field of higher education, science and technical cooperation, as well as on the mutual recognition of diplomas.
In particular, now there are agreements between Zimbabwe and state corporations Rosatom and Roscosmos, as well as bilateral agreements between Russian and Zimbabwean universities within the framework of the Russian-African Network University.
Murvira also recalled that many professors in Zimbabwe studied in Russia and speak Russian.
This should be taken into account when evaluating scientific exchanges, he added.
In June 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his intention to develop relations with African states, as their role on the world stage is growing.
According to the President, the trade turnover between Russia and African countries is increasing: in the first months of 2022, it grew by more than 34%.
He also expressed his desire to develop humanitarian ties with African countries and to do everything possible to make this process gain momentum.
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- **Information Technology:** Russia reports exports of IT services to Africa, and collaborative digital initiatives are in place.

Title:

Content: Ushakov said that Putin at the summit Russia - Africa will publish some initiatives of Moscow
The President will also assess the current system of international relations
Moscow, July 25.
/ TASS /.
Russian President Vladimir Putin at the summit Russia - Africa will assess the modern system of international relations and will publish some initiatives, told reporters assistant to the head of the Russian state Yuri Ushakov.
"The president will make a big statement and give an assessment of the current state of the system of international relations, including the formation of a new world order based on the principle of multipolarity and equality of all independent states," the Kremlin spokesman said.
According to him, “the main attention will be paid to the prospects for further development of relations between Russia and Africa with a focus on Russian assistance to the national sovereign development of African countries, ensuring equitable access to food, fertilizers, modern technologies, energy resources. ”
"Some of our initiatives in this area will be announced," Ushakov added.
"Russia pays priority attention to the development of relations with African states on the principles of equality, mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs," the Russian presidential aide said.
According to him, "Russia's trade and economic ties with African countries are successfully developing."
“Over the past three years, since the first summit, the trade turnover between Russia and Africa has increased from $16.8 billion to $17.9 billion by the end of 2022, the commodity nomenclature of mutual deliveries is improving due to an increase in the share of non-resource, knowledge-intensive products, ” the Kremlin representative said.
He also drew attention to the cooperation in the field of education, recalling that with the assistance of the USSR, about 100 educational institutions were built in Africa, about 480 thousand Africans underwent vocational training.
"Today, these traditions continue, the number of African students studying in Russia has reached 35 thousand people, the quota for training for African citizens at the expense of the federal budget for three years has increased by 2.5 times and for the 2023 / 24 academic year amounted to more than 4,700 seats," Ushakov said.
He also noted Moscow ’ s close cooperation with African countries in international organizations on major global and regional issues.
“Russia and Africa are closely cooperating on security issues and countering new challenges and threats, such as terrorism, human trafficking, drug trafficking, illegal migration, crime in the digital space, ” the Kremlin spokesman said.

Which sectors received the most foreign investment?

- **Infrastructure:** Both China and India pursue infrastructure projects spanning power, transport, and technology, though specific Chinese project data isn’t covered in this extract.

Which countries are actively investing in Africa besides China?

**Major Investment/Partnership Examples**
   - **PhosAgro:** Russian agrochemical firm has launched digital education platforms for African farmers, reflecting a trend of knowledge-transfer partnerships.

Which sectors received the most foreign investment?

- **Indian Solar Plant in Mozambique:** Demonstrates India's rising stakes in Africa’s sustainable energy future to also reinforce strategic influence.

Which Asian countries are investing in Africa?

Which countries are actively investing in Africa besides China?

Europe, U.S. Japan, South Korea, India
India

- Agreements for recognition of educational qualifications with Eritrea further deepen bi-national academic cooperation.

Title:

Content: November 3, 10: 37
Ministry of Education updates agreements on education with African countries
The Ministry noted that now in Russia are studying a little more than 30 thousand African students, more than 5.5 thousand of them - at the expense of the budget of the Russian Federation.
Moscow, November 3.
/ TASS /.
The Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation intends to update some agreements on the recognition of education with African countries, since they were concluded in Soviet times.
This was announced on Thursday by Deputy Minister Natalia Bocharova during a meeting with the delegation of the Republic of Zimbabwe at the RSUH.
“Today, there are 30 intergovernmental agreements between the Russian Federation and African countries on the recognition of education by the African region.
Now we are negotiating such agreements with eight more states and we want to update them, since they were concluded in the Soviet period.
The agreement on the recognition of education with Eritrea has been finalized.
And we hope that on the sidelines of the Russian-African summit (Russia-Africa summit, it will be held in 2023 - approx.
TASS) these agreements will be signed, ” said Bocharova.
According to her, the Russian Ministry also hopes that before the summit it will be possible "to complete all domestic procedures for the coordination of such agreements with Nigeria and Zimbabwe."
The deputy minister added that just over 30,000 African students are currently studying in Russia, more than 5,500 of them at the expense of the Russian budget.

**Trends & Projections**
   - The African continent is projected to occupy a role comparable to what China and India hold today within 20 years (per Valdai Club discussions).

- Over 40% of Africa’s population is under 15, suggesting a booming youth workforce and consumer base—attractive for foreign investors seeking new markets.

Title:

Content: Russian education for Africa: Novosibirsk sets the tone
9: 46 AM
Russia consistently increases state quotas for African students and offers multi-level platforms for discussing the concepts of promoting our education abroad.
Regions are also in a hurry to contribute to the overall foreign policy course, and Novosibirsk is making an obvious bid for leadership.
The recently concluded St. Petersburg International Economic Forum gave social networks and news channels a sentimental episode of the meeting of two delegates from different African countries, who last saw each other 30 years ago, in Russia, where they simultaneously studied at one of the Soviet universities and lived there on the same floor of a dormitory.
What is characteristic, Africans communicated with each other mainly in Russian, since there are more than 2,100 African languages and their dialects, and the state languages “inherited ” from the former colonizers from Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau, from which the delegates came, are different: English and Portuguese, respectively.
The replication of this episode, including in the official media, clearly proves what goals the state sets today, promoting the idea of   active export of Russian education abroad, and primarily to African countries.
By the way, the activity of the process was indicated at the Russian-African summit last year, when President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin proposed to open branches of Russian universities and schools with the study of the Russian language in Africa.
In the first year of the start of the project in Russian universities, the number of budget places for the 2023 / 2024 academic year for Africans was doubled.
In general, at the moment, according to the head of Rossotrudnichestvo Yevgeny Primakov, about 37 thousand African students study in Russia, and every year universities recruit about 6,000 applicants from African countries for free education under quotas - not only state ones.
And yet all these figures do not look so impressive when compared with the potential.
It should not be forgotten that about 40% of the population of Africa are children under 15 years of age.
For comparison, in Russia, children under 15 years old are about 17%.
So the number of potential African applicants, according to various estimates, is at least 200 million (!) people.
Meanwhile, our state faces very ambitious tasks – the acquisition of new allies and the further strengthening of its positions on the world stage.
Africa is currently considered the “golden billion ” as a global strategic reserve of raw materials, which is necessary, including for the development of innovative technologies.
And the states located on the continent themselves will not have de facto independence from the former metropolises until there are resources for the independent use of these riches.
The problem of personnel is particularly acute.
For example, the trouble of the whole of Africa is extremely weak infrastructure: both energy and transport.
The latter is generally sharpened to a large extent for the export of raw materials from the continent.
And to build a quality infrastructure, you need specialists, and their own, local.
Russia and Africa already have agreements on the construction of nuclear power plants, and Tomsk, where one of the leading universities in nuclear energy is located, trains specialists for this.
And recently this process was activated due to the signing of a partnership agreement with the Center for Public Diplomacy, which is headed by the vice-speaker of the Novosibirsk Legislative Assembly Natalia Krasovskaya.
With the help of the Center, the Tomsk Polytechnic School of Nuclear Technology plans to find partners in Africa for educational and scientific cooperation in the field of nuclear technologies that are much broader than nuclear energy.
In the partners of the Center for Public Diplomacy, as an organization with deep Novosibirsk roots (the trustee organization of the Center is the well-known in Siberia GC "Blossom"), of course, there are several leading Novosibirsk universities and research institutes.
For example, the Novosibirsk Research Institute of Virology, the Center for Public Diplomacy, is helping to establish links with relevant ministries in Niger to begin negotiations on joint research in the field of zoonotic infections and the development of vaccines for them.
In collaboration with NSU, the Center initiated the Russian-African International Forum in Novosibirsk.
Now the organization of the forum is being discussed at the level of the governor of the region, and if a positive decision is made, the Center for Public Diplomacy is ready to contribute to attracting its contacts in Africa to provide the forum with a representative delegation from African countries.
The Center for Public Diplomacy already has considerable experience in this area, in particular, in April it co-organized a conference of rectors of African and Russian universities, and invited education ministers from the Sahel countries to business meetings in the State Duma and the Foreign Ministry.
In other words, if the forum proposed by NSU is held, the region will be able to make a serious bid to promote Russian education in Africa.
However, already now many Novosibirsk universities with the support of the Center for Public Diplomacy have declared themselves in the States of the Sahel - a zone of increased interest of the Russian state and the active work of the CND.
Since the beginning of 2024, the non-state Russian House has been operating very successfully in Burkina Faso, the first of the network of Russian Houses planned by the Center.
Literally within a month, it is expected to launch the work of the second Rustny House in Niger.
Next up is Mali.
In a slightly more delayed perspective — the Union of Comoros, Burundi, Guinea.
But in all these countries, there are already contacts with the ministries of higher education and science and university rectors.
And the hallmark of non-governmental Russian houses from the CND are the courses of the Russian language and the preparation of African applicants for admission to Russian universities.
By the way, one of the partners of the Center for the Promotion of the Russian Language in Africa is the Novosibirsk Pedagogical State University.
The promotion of the Russian language in Africa is unprecedentedly important – let ’ s recall the above-mentioned meeting of two African delegates at SPIEF.
If we talk, in fact, about education, then the main competitors of Russia in this area on the continent are the United States and France.
And while France is rapidly losing its official position in the Sahel, there is little impact on the education sector there.
First, education is a fairly conservative system, its reform is not a matter of one day.
Second, the language of teaching.
Across the African continent, you can count on the fingers of universities where there are disciplines taught in local languages, usually teaching is conducted in one of the European, that is, the language of the former metropolis.
Rewriting the program of even one course into another language is not easy, but here we are talking about all the disciplines taught.
Russia has an obvious advantage in this situation.
The United States and Europe, by providing scholarships to Africans, prefer to keep the most gifted students at home, for the needs of their own economy.
Russia is interested in the return of African students to their homeland.
The Russian state trains African specialists on quotas in order to work effectively with trained specialists in Africa.
To the governments of African countries — almost all of which, by the way, have graduates of Soviet or Russian universities — this logic is clear and close.
Knowledge of the language becomes a natural barrier to setting Russian education in Africa on the flow.
Of course, Russia has courses that are conducted in English and even French, but most of those that are of interest to African applicants are in Russian.
This issue is now being addressed, on the one hand, with the help of Russian language courses and the preparation of applicants, on the other hand, with the development of joint courses, for which African universities have a serious request.
And some Novosibirsk partners of the Center for Public Diplomacy are already negotiating with their African colleagues to begin work in this direction.
In any case, the export of Russian education to Africa or joint training for the African economy with African partners is a sure way for Russia to acquire new allies with a sustainable economy (which Russia will help develop and strengthen) and strengthen Russian influence on the continent and in the world as a whole.
And Novosibirsk, thanks to the activities of the Center for Public Diplomacy, supported by the Blossom Group, can play a significant role in this process in the near future.
Author Irina Gusakova
Irina Gusakova — columnist of Pravda.Ru

What trends are emerging for African startups in 2022?

- African nations seek mutual benefit in foreign partnerships.

There's increasing skepticism about Western models, and more emphasis on alliances that combine local resources with foreign technology and expertise.

**African Agency & Direction**
   - There’s a growing advocacy for self-determined partnerships, with African stakeholders preferring mutually beneficial relationships over extractive ones—especially in response to the legacy of colonialism and "win-lose" arrangements with Western entities.

- African countries are also leveraging diplomatic engagement (summits, recognition agreements, education exchanges) as tools to formalize and expand international economic cooperation.

**Conclusion:**
Foreign investment in Africa is diversifying, with non-Western powers like Russia and India expanding in agriculture, energy, education, and IT, alongside existing Western and Chinese activity.

Title:

Content: Opening Africa: How can an economic partnership with the continent compensate for the losses of Ukraine during the war?
October 26, 10: 00
Company news
Nazovni
Even before the war, Ukrainian producers made efforts to diversify exports and expand the potential for cooperation with African countries.
In 2021, the share of agricultural exports to the continent was 13.3%, with Egypt becoming the main trading partner.
The total volume of trade with the country last year amounted to 2.43 billion dollars - almost 3% of all exports of Ukraine.
Today, the African market is a promising market, and the perception of its countries as economically undeveloped remains stereotypical.
The nominal GDP of the continent is 1.4 trillion euros: economic growth is ahead of demographic growth - the solvency of local residents is increasing.
Since 2015, sub-Saharan imports from outside the continent have exceeded $250 billion.
Video of the day
The sun is rising
The development of Ukraine ’ s relations with African states is of a strategic nature – in June, Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a new logistics policy for the continent.
Can a strengthened economic partnership compensate for Ukraine ’ s export losses in other markets?
“The cost of Ukrainian exports to the countries of the region exceeds the cost of imports in fact – this is the region where Ukraine earns real money.
For example: in 2021, the export of Ukrainian goods to Egypt amounted to $1.944 billion and exceeded more than 10 times the volume of imports from this country, ” said Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Egypt Mykola Nagorny.
According to him, the blockade and partial occupation of Ukrainian seaports by Russia encourages diversification of exports.
“Promising areas are the IT sphere — digitalization, artificial intelligence, electronic control; engineering — design of industrial facilities, transfer of Ukrainian technologies, provision of services — maintenance of the aircraft fleet, etc., ” notes Mykola Nagornyy.
Currently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working on the liberalization of bilateral trade.
According to the ambassador, in the process of activating the African Continental Free Trade Zone, which will cover the territory of 54 countries of the continent with a population of more than 1.3 billion people.
It will be operated by Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Rwanda and Tunisia.
Not a single grain: what is Ukraine doing for Africa?
Ukrainian industrial company Interpipe has been shipping pipe products to the African market since 2018.
"The continent has large oil reserves - accordingly, the demand for pipes for hydrocarbon production, including Ukrainian production, will grow," the press service of the manufacturer reports.
The company "Tatra-Yug" delivered 15 two-section tram cars to the city of Alexandria.
The last renovation of tram systems there took place about 40 years ago.
“One of the promising areas in Africa is public transport: trolleybuses, buses, trams.
Cities are urbanizing and need to be renovated, ” emphasizes Inessa Kerdivara, Deputy Director of Tatra-South.
Photo: https: / / tatra-yug.com.ua
The continent has huge distances and explains the demand for small aircraft.
Ukrainian ultralight two-seater aircraft from the company Aeropact already ply in the skies of South Africa, Kenya, Côte d'Ivoire.
They are used for entertainment purposes and flight schools, for counting animals and observing the national parks of Africa.
The Lekhim Group of Companies has been supplying medicines to African countries for more than 6 years.
“We started with annual orders for 60 thousand dollars, and now this figure is already 200 thousand dollars.
The African pharmaceutical market is a promising channel for long-term cooperation, ” Olga Pechaeva, Director for Foreign Economic Relations of Lekhim Group of Companies, tells about the current situation.
In 2014, Genesis launched Jiji in Nigeria.
The platform grew to 10 million monthly visitors with 2 million active ads.
In a study of the market, Genesis found that of Nigeria ’ s 200 million population, almost half are under the age of 15.
Where to start conquering the continent of the future?
Additional resources are already available for Ukrainian exporters to facilitate cooperation with foreign markets.
One of them is the service from the Foreign Ministry – Nazovni – a platform for obtaining business advice from Ukrainian diplomats around the world.
By filling out the application, exporters can even count on direct contacts of potential partners in accordance with their target audience.
To date, 82 applications have been created in 10 African countries.
According to the director of Nazovni Laura Polishchuk, 26 Ukrainian businessmen, including representatives of the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, light and heavy industry, geoscanning, design services, manufacturers of sweets and natural stones have already received the result.
Photo: NAME
“The number and diversity of applications on the platform shows that Africa is an interesting region.
Embassies are ready to support Ukrainian business in an effort to enter African markets: diplomatic missions quickly work out requests.
For example, thanks to the work of a diplomat in Senegal, the Ukrainian exporter is already discussing a partnership with the company, ” said Laura Polishchuk.
Soon, Nazovni.Expo functionality will appear on the platform, where you can learn about exhibition events for the development of Ukrainian-African relations and get loyal conditions for participation.
Today in Ukraine with Andrey Smirnov
News digest from the editor-in-chief of NV magazine
The newsletter is sent from Monday to Friday
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Which Asian countries are investing in Africa?

Which countries are actively investing in Africa besides China?

Projects range from digital agriculture and education platforms to infrastructure and renewables.

Which sectors received the most foreign investment?

Major firms (e.g., PhosAgro) and governments are increasingly active, reflecting Africa’s rising profile as a site for global economic growth and partnership.

What trends are emerging for African startups in 2022?

**Summary of Extracted Information on Foreign Investment and Partnerships in Africa**

**Educational Investment and Human Capital Development:**
- Universities across Africa, including Alexandria University (with branches in Chad and South Sudan) and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, are expanding master’s programs—many offering full scholarships—and are particularly focused on empowering women and promoting gender equality in business leadership.

Title:

Content: Chairman of Wafd Party
Dr. Abdul Sindh Yamama
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Dr. Ayman is an accountant.
Editor-in-Chief
I'm sorry.
My grandfather, Zainuddin.
Chairman of Wafd Party
Dr. Abdul Sindh Yamama
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Dr. Ayman is an accountant.
Editor-in-Chief
I'm sorry.
My grandfather, Zainuddin.
Bibliotheca Alexandrina Opens Second Edition of the International Forum “The Future Belongs to Africa ”
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) witnessed the opening of the second session of the Joint International Forum entitled “The Future Belongs to Africa: The Power of Education: Creating New Jobs for a Better Future ”, organized by the BA in collaboration with Senghor University and the University Center for Professional Development at Alexandria University from February 19 to 21.
On behalf of Dr. Ahmed Zayed, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Ms. Heba El Rafei, Acting Head of the External Relations and Protocol Sector at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, opened the forum, expressing her pleasure at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina organizing this important forum in partnership with Sangor University Center for Professional Development at the University of Alexandria.
She said that the Bibliotheca Alexandrina has always been a beacon of science and knowledge, and that this forum comes within the framework of its efforts to improve education, develop skills and empower young people.
She called on the forum participants to exchange views and discuss opportunities for cooperation with a view to bridging the gap between higher education and the African labour market.
For his part, Dr. Said Allam, Vice President of Alexandria University for Community Service and Environmental Development, said that Alexandria University has two branches in Africa, in Chad and South Sudan.
He pointed out that the university also offers scholarships at the postgraduate level (Nile Basin Scholarships) up to 100 scholarships.
He added that the university seeks to bridge the gap between the academic and professional aspects, and therefore established three professional development centers in the Faculty of Engineering, Commerce and Education, which provide services to about 20 thousand students from courses, workshops and training opportunities in order to qualify for the labor market.
We now face great challenges, and competition in the labor market requires arming with many skills, so universities are working to build the human and his real abilities and skills.
In his speech, Dr. Thierry Verdel, Executive Director of Sangor University, said that the university represents the French sector of the African continent, and that it offers its students training programs that are concerned with the changes that are happening around us, in order to help them serve their country and the African continent in general.
He expressed his happiness at the presence of many participants and representatives of different and important parties in the forum, pointing out that over the course of three days the forum will witness many events on education and the importance of creating jobs in Africa.
Prof. Ayman Farid, Deputy Minister of Higher Education for Strategic Planning, Training and Qualification for the Labor Market - Ministry of Higher Education, spoke about "Employment: Between Opportunities and Challenges" and talked about the curricula and programs taught in the fields of higher education and scientific research in Egypt.
There are two aspects to the job market: the job or opportunity, and the second is skill.
The academic system alone cannot be responsible for connecting young people to the labor market.
He said that the University of Oxford and the universities in London are interested in the need to have a system in higher education linked to the labor market and this indicates that the skills and interest in the labor market became a necessity and the idea moved to Egypt and was founded at the American University and was the first center to support professional skills and continued separately until 2012, where Egyptian universities began to be interested in the existence of employment centers.
There has been a partnership between the American University and Egyptian universities.
He spoke about the importance of establishing employment centers and paying attention to innovation.
He said in his speech that there are some basic skills to establish young people, such as critical analysis of any complex problem, must learn the interdisciplinarity that links disciplines to each other.
He said that professional skills are divided into self-skills, such as how to organize time and skills of how to deal with and communicate with each other and with the work team.
He talked about the need for companies and factories as a key partner in the system of innovation and employment centers by dealing with students continuously and directly.
And offer jobs to students and also the student must be equipped by providing a real experience in a factory or hospital
In his graduation project.

- Collaboration between African higher education institutions and international partners is increasing.

Title:

Content: Minister of Higher Education: Increase by 25% in the number of seats allocated to all Sub-Saharan African countries under the title of the academic year 2023-2024
During his participation in the African Heads of State and Government Summit on Human Capital held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on 25-26 July, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Moncef Boukatar stressed Tunisia ’ s openness to work with all its partners to employ its experience and capabilities within the framework of African solidarity in human capital formation and the need to adopt a more balanced approach to skills mobility between North and South. To attract talent.
In this context, Tunisia has decided to increase the number of seats allocated to all sub-Saharan African countries for the academic year 2023-2024 by 25% compared to the previous academic year, pointing out that it was a pioneer in providing training opportunities, scholarships and technical assistance programs to more than 40 African countries dedicated more than 1,000 scholarships and free seats annually for African students.
"..."
The Tunisian government also approved the establishment of the Tunisian Agency for International Students as an executive structure for cognitive diplomacy to accompany international students from the study project in Tunisia until after graduation and to frame university institutions in the programs of briefing international students, which will enhance the status of Tunisia as a university destination.
Distinguished international in the region and brings additional resources to the national group.
The minister pointed out that Tunisia has chosen the approach of continuous investment in human capital and has never deviated from this priority and still ranks first in the world in terms of government funding per pupil in secondary education as a percentage of GDP per capita, pointing out that the last five years have witnessed an increase in spending on higher education by 37% and a rise in spending per graduate by 50%.
He pointed out that investments are being directed more and more to quality training programs, operational promotion and encouragement of scientific production, as well as university services directed to students such as housing, food and grants, which represent more than 20% of the budget of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and benefit more than half of the students.
The minister pointed out that the Tunisian government is aware of the challenges related to innovation, as in its programs within the development plan 2023-2025 and the vision of Tunisia 2035, special attention has been paid to the role of the Tunisian system of training, higher education, scientific research and innovation as a locomotive of the knowledge economy in Tunisia and its contribution to improving the innovation climate in a sustainable way.
On the sidelines of his participation in the summit, the minister discussed with a number of African ministers and senior officials of international and regional organizations such as the World Bank and the African Union on ways to support bilateral and multilateral cooperation to build human capital.
*. *. *

There have been partnerships between the American University and Egyptian universities, as well as active engagement of experts from Europe and other regions.

Which countries are actively investing in Africa besides China?

- There is a growing emphasis on digital education and skills development to prepare students for Africa’s evolving labor markets, with calls from African Union and Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) leadership to transform education systems for the future workforce.

Title:

Content: World News
ECA president calls for digital education in Africa
Gatete, Executive Secretary of the African Union (AU), said Africa must accelerate digital connectivity, accessibility and affordability to bridge the continent ’ s digital divide, speaking at the 44th Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council.
Education was a fundamental human right and a duty, as a key tool for achieving Africa's collective social and economic development goals.
The African Union must commit to transforming the education system on the continent into a "fit for purpose" system in today's world.
The session, which brings together foreign ministers of African Union member states from 14 to 15 February, takes place under the African Union ’ s 2024 theme: “Africa ’ s education ready for the 21st century: building resilient education systems to increase access to education ”, to inclusive lifelong learning, quality and relevance in Africa.
He urged the countries of the continent to make the necessary investments in infrastructure, mobilize resources and develop appropriate approaches that would enable them to reap the benefits of their natural and human capital, as well as demographic dividends.
“By 2030, almost one in two young people in the world will be African, but the changing demographic dynamics are not matched by the acquisition of vital skills that enable Africans to fully participate in the changing workforce.
While recalling that African leaders had questioned the importance of the colonial education system in 1960 to meet the continent's development needs, the Executive Secretary urged African countries to prepare their youth for the future labour market.
He also urged African governments to focus more on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to generate more wealth on the continent.
“There is no doubt that it makes sense to increase investments in the African education system in areas that improve productivity and enhance global competitiveness, ” Gatete said.
According to the Executive Secretary, insufficient resources, lack of education and lack of basic computational skills limit Africa ’ s STEM landscape.
So we have to ask ourselves, “What investments do we need to make today to generate a workforce for the future? ”
Gatete urged African leaders to strengthen transcontinental education networks and knowledge sharing within Africa, as well as reduce the gender digital divide to improve education on the continent.
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- Training in high-tech sectors such as space research and remote sensing is being promoted, with multiple African researchers participating in specialized training and exchange programs.

Title:

Content: Egyptian News
A total of 2702 grants.
Presidential support for Egyptian-African cooperation in higher education
The Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research reviewed a report submitted by Islam Abulmagd, Advisor to the Minister for African Affairs and Space Technology, on the performance of the ministry in the field of Egyptian-African cooperation within 8 years.
The report pointed out that the total Egyptian grants allocated to African countries amounted to 2702 scholarships, and these scholarships vary among them, there are grants of cultural exchange programs, grants of the Ministry of Higher Education in the sub-committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, grants of Egyptian universities and grants from the Egyptian Agency for Partnership for Development.
The report pointed out that the research centers are harnessing their potential to communicate with African researchers to conduct joint research projects, especially in the fields of (health, energy, agriculture and water), in addition to the presence of 4 institutes and faculties of African studies in Egyptian universities, where the establishment of the Institute of Afro-Asian Studies for Graduate Studies at Suez Canal University was approved. More than 980 surgeries were performed.
The report added that the ministry, through the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, has presented annual awards to young African creative and researchers to support the process of scientific research and innovation and support African youth, and it has been announced that two African researchers among the young African scientists won the state awards in Egypt worth $10,000.
The report pointed to the allocation of 150 scholarships for postgraduate studies for students of African countries at the Egyptian-Japanese University of Science and Technology funded by cooperation between the governments of Egypt and Japan, as well as 50 scholarships from the American University in Cairo and 50 scholarships from the British University in Cairo for African students to study in Egypt.
The report dealt with the training of more than 2,300 trainees from African countries in short training courses, as well as supporting the hosting of the regional office of the Union of African Universities for North African countries, hosted by Egypt at Al-Azhar University, to promote harmony and cooperation between Egyptian and African universities.
During the TICAD 7 conference in Japan, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research launched the Egyptian initiative to design and launch an African satellite for development, in partnership with African countries, and is being implemented under the leadership of the Egyptian Space Agency.
The report pointed out that the ministry seeks to link Egyptian universities with their African counterparts through partnership and twinning programs between Egyptian and African universities, where memorandums of understanding are signed and joint action plans are developed and student and academic exchange is promoted, most recently between Cairo University and John Garang University in South Sudan, Helwan University and Limpopo University in South Africa. In Sudan, the branch of Alexandria University in Tung, South Sudan, was rehabilitated to open and receive students in the next academic year.
Currently, work is underway to increase the number of branches of Egyptian universities in other African countries, while raising the efficiency of these branches and increasing educational programs, and is currently consulting on the establishment of a branch of Ain Shams University in the Republic of Tanzania, in implementation of Article 11 of the memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Tanzanian Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
The report pointed to the ministry ’ s interest in the field of space research and remote sensing, due to their great importance in the current era, which resulted in cooperation in qualifying many African researchers to use and employ satellite data to solve regional environmental problems through specialized training courses, workshops and exchange of visits. The Ministry succeeded in hosting a center of excellence in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, to be ready for training on fisheries management.
The report pointed out that Egypt hosted more than 80 scientific conferences and technical workshops in the presence of nearly 2,300 African visitors, the most recent of which was Egypt's hosting of the African Oceanographic Conference in partnership with the United Nations Office of Oceanography of UNESCO, which was attended by more than 25 African countries.
The Ministry also hosted several innovation competitions for talented and young researchers to raise awareness about the importance of education and scientific research as a locomotive for development in Africa, and hosted several meetings of the African Union and NEPAD (the scientific and technical arm of the African Union) to localize technologies and support the establishment of companies and entrepreneurship.
More than 30 ministerial meetings and 65 scientific and strategic meetings were attended to prepare and implement scientific and technical strategies in the African continent. Pharmaceutical research, production and registration of Egyptian medicine in Malawi.
During the period of the Corona pandemic, several ministerial and executive meetings were held to partner in the plans to confront the Corona pandemic and the precautionary and technical measures taken by Egypt in education and scientific research. The minister presented many Egyptian experiences taken by the ministry, including the reliance on hybrid education and distance education, the establishment of electronic platforms for lectures and exams, and the dissemination of the system of qualifying electronic examinations for medical colleges. Exams.
Adel Abdel Ghaffar, media advisor and official spokesman of the ministry, said that the ministry places the strengthening of joint cooperation with various African countries at the top of its priorities, by providing full support to African brothers in the fields of higher education and scientific research, whether at the undergraduate or postgraduate level in all Egyptian universities, as well as increasing scholarships for students and supporting the exchange of experiences in various scientific and research fields.
He pointed out that the coming period will witness more cooperation to support relations with African brothers, especially the Nile Basin countries, stressing that Egypt has not and will spare no effort to support its African brothers, and will always extend its hand to cooperation, construction and development for all African countries.
We presented to you our esteemed visitors the most important details about the news of the allocation of 2702 grants..
Presidential support for Egyptian-African cooperation in higher education on Gulf Dot in this article and we hope that we have provided you with all the details clearly and with more credibility and transparency and if you want to follow more news you can subscribe with us for free through our alerts system on your browser or by joining the mailing list and we see to provide you with all that is new.
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**Foreign Investment and Diaspora Engagement:**
- Foreign investment is increasingly directed toward for-profit projects that have a broader impact on job creation.

Title:

Content: The call is primarily aimed at supporting businesses and businesses headed or managed by women, as well as providing funding for projects that support the employment of women.
The “Investing for Employment ” initiative invites companies and public entities to submit project proposals that contribute to the creation of sustainable jobs in the private sector.
To achieve this goal, the initiative offers co-financing grants of between €1 million and €10 million per project, where the selection process depends on the submission of a competitive study for each project and priority is given to proposals that are fully developed, high quality and ready for implementation.
The initiative is only slated to co-finance projects that have been rated as the best in terms of operational feasibility, financial sustainability and job creation.
The Investment for Employment initiative seeks to increase the contribution of women to the Egyptian business market, whether as founders, executives, or employees in non-managerial positions.
Although companies owned or run by businesswomen in Egypt are playing an increasingly important economic role, they still have a long way to go.
According to the 2022 Global Gender Gap Report, only one in 50 companies in Egypt is owned by women, while only six percent are run by women.
Women in Egypt account for less than a quarter of the workforce, although they are better represented in the informal sector.
On November 14, 2022, the “Investing for Employment ” initiative launched the call for“ businesswomen ” to support women ’ s participation in the Egyptian labor market to submit project proposals in Egypt.
The advocacy is primarily aimed at supporting enterprises and businesses headed or run by women, as well as providing funding for projects that support women's employment.
The call aims to receive applications for four types of projects:
1.
Non-profit projects for job creation (without cash flow):
The ‘ Invest for Employment ’ initiative covers a maximum of 90% of the total investment value.
2.
Non-profit projects for job creation (with cash flow):
The ‘ Invest for Employment ’ initiative covers up to 75% of the total investment value.
3.
for-profit projects with a broader impact on job creation:
The ‘ Invest for Employment ’ initiative covers up to 35% of the total investment value.
4.
for-profit projects aimed at creating employment opportunities:
The ‘ Invest for Employment ’ initiative covers up to 25% of the total investment value.
Grants range from €1 million to €10 million per project, with each applicant committing their own percentage of funding to complete the project funding.
The percentage of the grant contribution to the total funding target depends on the type of project.
Prospective applicants can submit their project proposals until 22 December 2022 at 5pm CET, where the initiative invites both companies and other interested institutions, public or private, to submit high-quality project proposals either in the form of a consortium or an individual entity.
For any queries, please refer to the FAQ section: -for-https: / / investfaq-jobs.com / en / ife, if you cannot find the information you need, please send an email to: jobs.com-for-egypt @ invest-cfp.wib until 15 December 2022 at 5pm CET.
A series of virtual meetings will be organized to present the objectives of the initiative and the conditions for submitting proposals, as well as the steps and methods of participation.
The webinars will be held on November 22, December 6 and December 13, 2022 at 10am CET (11am in Egypt) on the ZOOM platform.
To receive the link, please send an email to:
jobs.com-for-egypt @ invest-cfp.wib
To learn more about the application process and whether you are eligible, please refer to the information available on our website: wib-proposals-for-call-jobs.com / en / ife-for-https: / / invest
For guidelines for applicants and details on the terms of application, please visit our download center: center-download-jobs.com / en / ife-for-https: / / invest
Prospective applicants can contact the support office created specifically for this call.
The Investment for Employment initiative is an investment mechanism established by the German Development Bank (KfW) on behalf of the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and is a key part of the Special Initiative for Training and Job Creation.
The initiative, under the theme “Invest for Jobs ”, aims to remove investment barriers and create quality jobs and training in partner countries in Africa: Egypt, Cote d ’ Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia.
For more information on Investing for Employment and applying, please visit: jobs.com / ife-for-https: / / invest
For general information and additional support services provided by the Special Initiative for Training and Job Creation, please visit: jobs.com-for-https: / / invest
# Company Data
- Done.

What trends are emerging for African startups in 2022?

Initiatives like “Invest for Employment” can cover up to 25% of total investment value, with a focus on businesses led by women and gender-focused employment projects.

- Diaspora remittances and investments are being recognized as vital sources of social and economic development in Africa.

Title:

Content: IFAD President: Diaspora remittances and investments vital to promote rural development
Italian news agency AKI.
Alvaro Lario, president of the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), said: “Making the most of remittances and diaspora investments can reduce the need for more people to migrate. ”
Addressing the opening session of the Global Forum on Remittances, Investment and Development in Nairobi today, he noted that “approximately $1.8 billion of remittances flow daily to low- and middle-income countries to take advantage of development opportunities.
Half of that, US $900 million, promotes agriculture and rural development. ”
According to IFAD, beneficiaries of remittances are able to save or invest 25 per cent of the money they receive.
A quarter of these savings (US $25 billion annually) are directed to agriculture-related investments.
This amount is four times greater than global official development assistance (ODA) allocated to agriculture in developing countries.
“We need to change our perception and recognize migrant workers and expatriate investors as key contributors to development, especially when it comes to climate adaptation, ” said Alvaro Lario.
One billion people worldwide send or receive remittances.
In 2022, 200 million migrant workers sent US $647 billion to more than 800 million family members in low- and middle-income countries.
This is done through small transactions of $200 on average, 10 to 12 times a year.
In these countries, the combined value of ODA and FDI is much lower than the money migrants send to their loved ones.
The Global Forum on Remittances, Investment and Development in Nairobi, co-organized by IFAD, the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa and the World Bank Group, aims to bring about a change in mindset among various stakeholders, including public and private partners, as well as civil society.
The aim is to fully recognize and capitalize on the potential of remittances and diaspora investments as vital sources of social and economic development in low- and middle-income countries.
The world ’ s experts will present their findings to the UN General Assembly meeting on the SDG agenda in September this year.

The Global Forum on Remittances, Investment and Development (co-organized by IFAD, UN, and World Bank) in Nairobi, emphasizes leveraging these financial flows for broader socioeconomic impact.

**Geographic and Sectoral Trends:**
- Investment is geographically spreading across sub-Saharan Africa, with Egypt increasing scholarship allocations for students from these regions by 25% for 2023-2024.

Which African countries are driving the venture capital ecosystem?

- Industrial investment is spanning education, technology (notably space research and remote sensing), and sectors that will prepare Africa for future labor demands.

What trends are emerging for African startups in 2022?

Which sectors are Chinese investments in Africa focusing on?

The importance of innovation centers and direct, continuous collaboration between universities, companies, and factories is highlighted.

Title:

Content: Chairman of the Board of Directors and Editors
Mohamad Elbaz
Chairman of the Board of Directors and Editors
Mohamad Elbaz
Bibliotheca Alexandrina Opens Second Edition of the International Forum “The Future Belongs to Africa ”
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) witnessed today the opening of the second session of the Joint International Forum entitled “The Future Belongs to Africa: The Power of Education: Creating New Jobs for a Better Future ”, organized by the BA in collaboration with Senghor University and the University Center for Professional Development at Alexandria University from February 19 to 21 at the BA and Senghor University.
On behalf of Dr. Ahmed Zayed, Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Forum was opened by Heba El Rafei, Acting Head of the External Relations and Protocol Sector at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, expressing her pleasure at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina organizing this important forum in partnership with Sangor University and the University Center for Professional Development at the University of Alexandria.
Al-Rafei said that the Bibliotheca Alexandrina has always been a beacon of science and knowledge, and that this forum comes within the framework of its efforts to improve education, skills development and youth empowerment.
She called on the participants to exchange views and discuss opportunities for cooperation with the aim of bridging the gap between higher education and the African labor market.
For his part, Dr. Said Allam, Vice President of Alexandria University for Community Service and Environmental Development, said that Alexandria University has two branches in Africa, in Chad and South Sudan, pointing out that the university also offers grants at the postgraduate level (Nile Basin grants) can reach 100 grants.
He added that the university seeks to bridge the gap between the academic and professional aspects, and therefore established three professional development centers in the Faculty of Engineering, Commerce and Education, which provide services to about 20,000 students from courses, workshops and training opportunities in order to qualify for the labor market.
He added that we are now facing great challenges, and that competition in the labor market requires arming with many skills, so universities are working to build the human being and his real abilities and skills.
In his speech, Dr. Thierry Verdel, Executive Director of Sangor University, said that the university represents the French sector of the African continent, and that it offers its students training programs that are concerned with the changes taking place around us, in order to help them serve their country and the African continent in general.
He expressed his happiness at the presence of many participants and representatives of different and important parties in the forum, pointing out that over the course of three days, the forum will witness many events on education and the importance of creating job opportunities in Africa.
Dr. Ayman Farid, Deputy Minister of Higher Education for Strategic Planning, Training and Qualification for the Labor Market – Ministry of Higher Education, spoke about “Employment: Between Opportunities and Challenges ” and talked about the curricula and programs taught in the fields of higher education and scientific research in Egypt.
He said that we have to understand the difference between job opportunities and skill and that the graduate needs rehabilitation and adjustment in skills to be able to link to the labor market, and there are two parts to link to the labor market, the first job or opportunity and the second part is skill.
The academic system alone cannot be responsible for connecting young people to the job market.
He said that the University of Oxford and the universities in London are interested in the need to have a system in higher education linked to the labor market and this shows that skills and interest in the labor market has become a necessity and the idea has moved to Egypt.
It was established at the American University and was the first center to support professional skills and continued separately until 2012, when Egyptian universities began to pay attention to the existence of employment centers, and there became a partnership between the American University and the Egyptian universities.
He spoke about the importance of establishing employment centers and paying attention to innovation.
He said in his speech that there are some basic skills to establish young people, such as critical analysis of any complex problem, must learn the interdisciplinarity that links disciplines to each other.
He said that professional skills are divided into subjective skills, such as how to organize time and skills how to deal with and communicate with each other and with the team.
He talked about the need for companies and factories as a key partner in the system of innovation and employment centers through dealing with students on a continuous and direct basis.
The student must also be equipped by providing a real experience in a factory or hospital in his graduation project.
He added that the Egyptian state has started to provide and implement the so-called Carrier system service management, which is a global system taken by Egypt and linked to a central network in higher education where all jobs and all companies are available, in order to have digital data for the needs of the labor market.
The Supreme Council of Universities also signed an agreement to establish employment centers in all Egyptian universities.
The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research launched a "Be Prepared" initiative that teaches students and graduates how to prepare for the job.
He concluded by saying that the size of the Afro-Arab youth and the size of the challenges that create jobs and startups with a strong economy and the solidarity of African universities and the solidarity of young people makes us support the comprehensive development at the level of Africa and thus will be the “Africa of the future ”.
It is worth mentioning that the forum is organized over three days, and on the first day, February 19, capacity building workshops were presented at the headquarters of both the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Singor University.

**Key Partners and Entities:**
- Major partnerships involve European experts, American and French university branches in Africa, international development agencies (IFAD, World Bank, UN), and key African institutions (e.g., the African Development Institute relocating its headquarters to Dakhla).

Title:

Content: IFAD President: Diaspora remittances and investments vital to promote rural development
Italian news agency AKI.
Alvaro Lario, president of the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), said: “Making the most of remittances and diaspora investments can reduce the need for more people to migrate. ”
Addressing the opening session of the Global Forum on Remittances, Investment and Development in Nairobi today, he noted that “approximately $1.8 billion of remittances flow daily to low- and middle-income countries to take advantage of development opportunities.
Half of that, US $900 million, promotes agriculture and rural development. ”
According to IFAD, beneficiaries of remittances are able to save or invest 25 per cent of the money they receive.
A quarter of these savings (US $25 billion annually) are directed to agriculture-related investments.
This amount is four times greater than global official development assistance (ODA) allocated to agriculture in developing countries.
“We need to change our perception and recognize migrant workers and expatriate investors as key contributors to development, especially when it comes to climate adaptation, ” said Alvaro Lario.
One billion people worldwide send or receive remittances.
In 2022, 200 million migrant workers sent US $647 billion to more than 800 million family members in low- and middle-income countries.
This is done through small transactions of $200 on average, 10 to 12 times a year.
In these countries, the combined value of ODA and FDI is much lower than the money migrants send to their loved ones.
The Global Forum on Remittances, Investment and Development in Nairobi, co-organized by IFAD, the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa and the World Bank Group, aims to bring about a change in mindset among various stakeholders, including public and private partners, as well as civil society.
The aim is to fully recognize and capitalize on the potential of remittances and diaspora investments as vital sources of social and economic development in low- and middle-income countries.
The world ’ s experts will present their findings to the UN General Assembly meeting on the SDG agenda in September this year.

Which countries are actively investing in Africa besides China?

Title:

Content: People 's Network > > Education
"Vocational Education Whampoa" talk Luban (this newspaper visit)
— — Visit Tianjin Vocational and Technical Normal University
Our reporter Li Youjun, Zhang Baosu
May 22, 2023 09: 04 | Source: People's Daily Overseas Edition
Small number
On April 28, 2001, the opening ceremony of the Esseruban Workshop, co-founded by Tianjin Vocational and Technical Normal University and Ethiopia Technical University, was held.
At the ceremony, the Chinese representative (front right) presented relevant teaching materials to the Ethiopian representative (front left).
Jiang Jian (first from left), a teacher at Tianjin Vocational and Technical Normal University and the Chinese head of the Esseruban Workshop, gave a lecture there.
The early summer of Jinmen is full of flowers and lush green.
There are many kinds of flowers and low shrubs in the central green belt of the street, such as moon, forsythia and hibiscus, and tall trees such as Chinese acacia and wax trees are on the sides of the street.
They are high and low, and they are interesting.
On a sunny afternoon, accompanied by a pleasant scenery, our reporter and his party drove from the station, along the HeiNiu City Road in Hexi District, into the Dagu South Road on the shore of the Haihe River, and then traveled three or four kilometers to reach the destination of the visit - Tianjin Vocational and Technical Normal University (hereinafter referred to as "Tianyi Normal University").
Accompanied by reform and opening up
Promote the internationalization of vocational education and make new achievements
Under the guidance of the Tianfu Normal University vehicle, we crossed a Indus Avenue on campus and then turned right for about 100 meters to stop.
In front of him is a three-storey building, and the entrance is hung with signs of institutions such as the Luban Workshop International Development Research Center and the African Union Research Center.
We went straight into the building and took the elevator to the meeting room on the top floor.
"Welcome to Tianye Normal University!" Party Secretary Zhang Jingang and Vice President Lu Jingquan warmly shook hands with us and exchanged greetings.
"Just last month, our school 's' Luban Workshop International Development Research Center 'was successfully selected as a new batch of Tianjin university think tanks.
"We will provide intellectual support for the further construction and development of Luban Workshop and the internationalization of China's vocational education with more fruitful research results," he said.
So far, the number of Luban workshops has reached 27, distributed in more than 20 countries on three continents of Asia, Africa and Europe, and has become a world-renowned Chinese vocational education brand and a model of the internationalization of Chinese vocational education.
"Luban Workshop International Development Research Center" was successfully selected as one of the new batch of Tianjin University think tanks, fully demonstrating the strong strength of Tianyu Normal University in this field.
Lu Jingquan, one of the major participants and builders of the Luban Workshop, initiated and led the development of the project's connotation, construction principles, standard model, implementation path and safeguard measures, and organized and promoted the completion of the eight Luban Workshop in Asia, Africa and Europe.
He has more than 30 years of experience in professional teaching and practice, and has published a number of influential papers in the industry.
Zhang believes that the Luban Workshop International Development Research Center, with Lu Jingquan as its chief expert and lead person, will continue to help China's educational internationalization practice, including the construction of the Luban Workshop, with first-class research results.
With 20 years of experience in education and foreign aid and cooperation with foreign universities, Tianfu Normal University has established the Luban Workshop in Ethiopia at a high level.
Zhang said that in 2003, the school, as the first "educational aid base" of the Ministry of Education, began to participate in the construction of the Ethiopia-China Vocational and Technical College, a project funded by the Chinese government, and then took the lead in guiding the construction of the "Punjab Tianjin Technical University" in Pakistan.
In particular, the university cooperated with the Ethiopian Technical University to establish the Luban Workshop in Ethiopia.
These experiences and achievements make the Luban Workshop International Development Research Center a high-level strategic think tank in the field of internationalization development of vocational education in China.
"In January 1979, the predecessor of Tianfu Normal University, Tianjin Technical and Technical Teachers College, was approved to be established, thus opening the journey of actively serving the national strategy and devoting itself to cultivating vocational teachers."
In the new era, Tianku Normal University has become the first Tianjin university jointly built by the Ministry of Education and the Tianjin Municipal Government, and has strived toward the goal of building a world-class vocational and technical teacher university.
Inheriting the Chinese traditional Bamo culture
Learning the Wisdom of Tao Xingzhi and Huang Yanpei
Lu Jingquan, former deputy director of the Tianjin Education Commission and deputy director of the management committee of the Tianjin Haihe Education Park, was deeply involved in the creation and construction of Luban Workshop, especially the core meaning of the Luban Workshop, which has become a landmark figure in Luban Workshop and China's vocational education "going out".
Lu Jingquan, chairman of the expert committee on the construction of the Luban workshop, was appointed chairman of the committee in early April.
As the head of the national teaching team, the project he presided over won the first national teaching achievement special prize in the field of vocational education.
In the face of the achievements and honors, Lu Jingquan modestly said that these are products of China ’ s vocational education reform and development, rooted in China ’ s local culture, and derived from China ’ s local practice. Lu Jingquan further explained the teaching model of Luban Workshop, “Engineering Paraction Innovation Project ” (EPIP).
He said that EPIP is a teaching model he created on the basis of more than 30 years of vocational teaching practice and theoretical research, and is suitable for training technical talents.
Lu said that EPIP has the gene of Chinese traditional culture, and specifically, it integrates the ideas of "behavior", "intimate knowledge" and "name and reality", and Huang Yanpei's idea of joint education between schools and enterprises, and Tao Xingzhi's idea of "life is education, society is school".
"In order to fully display the characteristics of vocational education culture that integrate the ancient and modern times, and create a rich atmosphere of vocational education culture on campus, the school has built a 'Xingzhi Garden' and 'Yanpei Garden' in recent years, and is building a 'Banmo Garden' with Luban Culture and Mozi Culture as the theme," Lu said.
We walk along the campus ’ s boulevard for about 10 minutes to reach “Xingzhi Park ”.
It is a rectangular green space about 2 acres in front of a scientific research building. The miniature arch bridge made of anticorrosive wood is divided into two parts, which are designed to symbolize "knowledge" and "walking". Behind the arch bridge is a circular mini square, which means "knowledge" and "walking" and paved with green bricks.
A bronze bust of Tao Xingzhi is placed on a cuboid base at the center of the statue. Behind the statue are five thick cuboid plates about one person tall and dark brown.
After that, we went to the “Garden of Eden. ”
It was a rather lush forest, about ten acres in size, in a rectangular shape, with plantines, Luan trees, and other trees, and several green brick trails crisscrossing it.
A large metal geometric sculpture shaped like "wings" is placed on the clearing between the forests, which is thick and solid, and is particularly eye-catching.
We have come to see that many faces of the geometric shape are engraved with Huang Yanpei's educational quotes, including the famous phrase "both hands and brains, both hands can be used."
On the side of the road near the south side of the forest, a bronze bust of Huang Yanpei was placed.
"After the completion of the Banmo Park, the sculptures of Luban and Mozi will be placed by relevant institutions, and the roads and landscapes will be carefully designed and constructed, and benches will be arranged so that everyone can enter, stay and sit down." Lu Jingquan said. "..."
Increase aid to the West.
Let the spirit of craftsmen bloom on the motherland's borders
Across the road from the south side of the "Yanpei Garden" is the Shaw Building where the School of Mechanical Engineering is located.
In the hall on the first floor of the Shaw Building, we met several senior Tibetan students who were about to graduate from the college.
"I want to go back to Lhasa to be a vocational school teacher, bring back the advanced electromechanical technology I learned here, and train more Tibetan contemporary 'Luban'," Tenzin Sakya told reporters with longing.
Also planning to return to the hometown of vocational school teachers are from Changdu girl Ram and from Shigatse young man fell after.
Ram is particularly concerned about improving the vocational skills of girls in her hometown, and wants to help more girls in agriculture and herdsmen master electromechanical technology so that they can have a chance to enter the equipment manufacturing industry.
He said that he will introduce the electronic engineering technology and advanced training equipment to schools in his hometown to upgrade the local vocational education environment.
They all mentioned Luban, thinking that the spirit of Chinese craftsmen symbolized by him is the common wealth of the people of all ethnic groups in the country, and it is their unshirkable responsibility to strive to cultivate modern Luban for the snowy plateau of their hometown.
“At a vocational school in Shiquanhe town, 4,300 meters above sea level, 33 outstanding graduates of our school have taught there for many years. In September 2021, I visited them and supported them with the school. ” Tell us about the scene at the time, full of emotion.
In the new era, Tianfu Normal University has continuously increased domestic education assistance, and has provided vocational teachers with assistance in various ways and in various ways in the vast western regions, including Tibet and Xinjiang.
According to statistics, in the past 10 years, the university has sent about 2,600 vocational teachers to vocational colleges in the western region, and trained more than 2,000 teachers and teachers at the government-funded vocational schools in Tibet, Xinjiang and Yunnan provinces, including more than 800 students from 34 ethnic minorities.
The university has launched a "university-government-vocational school" alliance to cooperate with education departments and vocational schools in four western provinces, including Guizhou and Gansu.
So far, a total of 605 outstanding students have taken up internships in vocational schools in the western region, laying a solid foundation for training future teachers and leaders in the western region to adapt to the development of vocational education.
Deep friendship across mountains and seas
Helping the world ’ s youth to become self-sufficient
Lu Ban was a skilful carpenter in ancient China who invented tools such as saw and planer.
When I was a child, I read Chinese history stories in China. "John, a young man from Benin, West Africa, was a junior in auto maintenance engineering at Tianyin Normal University. He won the gold medal in the labyrinth robot competition of the World Vocational College Skills Competition with his Chinese teammates.
He said that his professional ideal is to bring back the technology he learned in China to Benin after graduation, first accumulate more hands-on experience in automobile manufacturing factories, then go to vocational colleges and train automobile engineers, and bring out a group of African contemporary "Luban".
A girl from Kyrgyzstan, Meriya majored in mechanical engineering.
She told reporters that she is trying to make up for the time delayed by the epidemic.
Although mechanical engineering is usually difficult for some girls, the teachers here are patient and meticulous, coupled with first-class training conditions, she learned very well. "At present, I am busy writing a graduation thesis on ultrasonic machinery." Competitiveness. "
More than 1,000 international students, such as John and Meriya, come to TGU to study every year.
In recent years, the school has expanded the scale of recruiting foreign students, improved the quality of education for foreign students, made high-quality vocational education resources better benefit overseas youth, and trained a number of international "Luban".
In addition, the school actively established the Ethiopian Luban workshop, through "going out" and "please come in" to train a number of teachers for Ethiopian partner colleges and universities.
Taura Alem is one of them, “I ’ ve got my master ’ s degree here, I ’ m working on my PhD, and I ’ m fully trained on the EPIP program.
After graduation, I will go to the Esseruban workshop as a teacher, further expand the scope and depth of the profession, and devote my learning and energy to the training of vocational talents in my country.
Jiang Jian is undoubtedly the most well-known of the teachers thanked by Alem. As the head of the Chinese side of the Esseruban workshop, he and his wife have always stayed in Ethiopia during the COVID-19 epidemic, leading local teachers and students to complete the installation and commissioning of all practical training equipment and actively participate in local teaching.
The relevant deeds have been widely disseminated by many media reports, and it has become a good saying for Chinese vocational teachers to serve overseas.
At the International Exchange Office of Tianyi Normal University, we communicated with Jiang Jian, who is 7,000 kilometers away, and Betty, who is in charge of the Ethiopian side of the Esseruban workshop, through a video link.
They sit in line in front of the camera, and behind them are training equipment such as intelligent robotic arms provided by the Chinese side.
"Luban Workshop has brought the most advanced vocational education system to Ethiopia, including vocational education concepts, teaching models, teaching materials and practical training equipment.
"As a Chinese leader and teacher of Luban Workshop, I feel full and motivated to see the thirst for technology and the progress made by teachers and students here, especially the young people who are willing to find a job or start a successful business," Jiang said.
Betty said that Luban Workshop not only enabled Ethiopian students to obtain the highest quality vocational education resources, but also influenced the entire East African region, shouldering the responsibility of training high-level teachers for 16 vocational schools in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and other countries.
Our visit is over.
"My ultimate goal is to make Ethiopia no longer need me, and I hope that this day will come soon," Jiang said in an interview with Xinhua. To become a modern "Luban" with superb skills, to achieve self-reliance and pass on the torch.
(Editor: Hao Mengjia, Li Yihuan)
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