Africa Business News

Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has asked the Federal Government to tackle the deteriorating insecurity in the country.Akeredolu warned that the 2023 general elections might be threatened if the insecurity situation worsens.He also condemned Saturday’s attack on the Benue State, Samuel Ortom, wondering why governors would be the target of attack.Governor Akeredolu noted that Nigerians should be worried if banditry activities reach their full-scale.He says there is nobody that can carry out any election under an insecure atmosphere.

Microsoft says it would start reopening its headquarters offices next week and implementing a hybrid workplace that brings back more employees around the world after a year of remote work during the pandemic.The tech giant says its approach is data-driven and research-backed.Executive vice president Kurt DelBene in a blog post says currently, Microsoft work sites in 21 countries have been able to accommodate additional workers in our facilities.DelBene says the hybrid model would allow flexibility in allowing some employees to continue remotely while bringing back some to the office when conditions permit.

Eritrea has condemned as malicious the European Union's decision to impose sanctions on its National Security Office for alleged human rights abuses.The foreign ministry in a statement says he EU has no legal or moral prerogative for its decision and has merely invoked trumped-up charges to harass Eritrea for other ulterior motives.The EU accused the NSO of extra-judicial killings, torture, enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests. It did not give further details about the sanctions.The foreign ministry says the EU was trying to drive a wedge between Eritrea and Ethiopia and was trying to bring back to power the Tigray People's Liberation Front in Ethiopia's Tigray region.

The US has welcomed the formation of an interim government in Libya, and emphasised the need to end the conflict through an inclusive political process.State Secretary Antony Blinken spoke to Libya’s interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah saying the interim administration was an important milestone in the process.He also cited the need to provide essential public services and ensuring free, fair, and credible elections planned for 24 December.The two leaders also spoke about the implementation of a ceasefire agreement between rival sides in Libya, which includes the “removal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya without delay.Libya descended into conflict after the ousting of Muammar Gaddafi 10 years ago.

Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng has turned down an invitation to meet with Africa4Palestine. Africa4Palestine says it had reached out to Mogoeng with the aim of engaging him on his pro-Israel comments.The organisation says it was disappointed that the CJ would reject to meet with them, but speak on a foreign Israeli platform. This is in reference to a virtual discussion hosted by the Jerusalem Post, during which he made the controversial remarks.Mogoeng’s comments on Israel have now landed him on the other side of the bench as earlier this month, the Judicial Conduct Committee found him guilty of breaching the code of conduct by becoming involved in political controversy and ordered him to apologise.

The EFF condemned the discrimination against indigenous languages being practices by the South African Broadcasting Corporation.The party accused the SABC of cultural treason, as well as the highest form of tribalism and erasure adding that it’s dangerous because it perpetuates the superiority of other languages.The party says the removal of other languages is done at the expense of the rest of the population while the SABC will continue to broadcast in isiZulu, isiXhosa and EnglishThe party points out at restructuring at the expense of indigenous languages “is corrosive. The EFF, therefore, calls for equal access to digital platforms and the treatment of producers of all news segments.

Uganda says it had detained an American national for involvement in subversive activities amid a deadly crackdown against opponents of longtime President Yoweri Museveni that has drawn growing international censure.Uganda Police in a brief statement on its Facebook account says it had arrested the American, Guy Smith, in a town in the country’s west on Sunday.He was detained for his alleged involvement in anti-government subversive activities. He remains in custody as inquiries continue.In an email, a U.S. State Department official in an email says the government was aware of the arrest but did not provide details.

The United Nations Children’s Fund says that nearly one-third of Nigerian children lack access to enough water.UNICEF in a statement marking World Water Day says more than 1.42 billion people including 450 million children are living in areas of high or extremely high water vulnerability in the world.Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria says children are its biggest victims of the world’s water crisis.UNICEF says the figures in Nigeria are particularly worrying, with 26.5 million Nigerian children experiencing high or extremely high water vulnerability – or 29 per cent of Nigerian children.

The United States Agency for International Development announced the notification of an additional $168.5 million in development assistance to Nigeria.It explained that the assistance was to continue support for the goals outlined in a 2015 bilateral agreement between the U.S. and Nigerian governments.The latest funding increases the total U.S. assistance to the Nigerian people to $2.16 billion under the five-year Development Objectives Assistance Agreement signed between USAID and the Federal Ministry of Finance.The USAID noted that more than $115 million of the new funding would finance new and existing activities to improve public health in Nigeria.it noted that $40 million would be for maternal and child health, $28 million to control malaria, as well as ensure significant boosts in family planning, tuberculosis control, nutrition, and pandemic relief.

Nigerian Government received 300,000 additional doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines.The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha noted that the vaccines were donated to the government by telecommunications giant – MTN and called on other partners to contribute towards the fight against COVID-19 in the country.Mustapha described the disclosure that some Nigerian scientists have produced at least two local COVID-19 vaccines which were awaiting clinical trials and certification as significant.He says it is a welcome development that will open a new vista in scientific breakthrough and will boost the morale and image of the medical industry in the country.