Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: APO – Report:

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The United Arab Emirates has expressed its sincere condolences and solidarity with the Republic of Tunisia over the victims of floods following heavy rainfall, which resulted in a number of deaths and injuries and caused substantial damage.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims, and to the government and people of Tunisia over this tragedy, as well as its wishes for a speedy recovery for all the injured.

– on behalf of United Arab Emirates, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Source: APO – Report:

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The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission) expresses its deep concern about the calamitous situation that the Republic of Mozambique is facing following the significant increase in rainfall, which has severely affected the central and southern regions of the country, more precisely in the provinces of Gaza, Maputo, Inhambane and Sofala.

The African Commission is particularly alarmed by the scale of the impact, as official figures indicate that more than 513,000 people have been affected, over half of whom are children, with more than 50,000 people forced to flee their homes and currently sheltered in temporary centres.

The Commission also takes note of information indicating that the number of deaths across the region exceeds one hundred, including approximately 30 recorded in South Africa and Zimbabwe. 

The floods have also caused extensive damage to essential infrastructure, including roads, bridges, hospitals, schools, farmland and other critical infrastructure, severely disrupting supplies and access to humanitarian assistance.

The African Commission is also concerned about the increased risks of waterborne diseases, nutritional problems and disruptions in access to education and health care. 

The Commission notes that the situation continues to evolve and is likely to worsen, due to continued rainfall, flooding and discharges, as well as the country’s entry into its annual cyclone season, further exposing populations to forced displacement and loss of their livelihoods. 

In this context, the African Commission acknowledges and closely monitors the efforts undertaken by the Government of Mozambique, with the support of national and international partners, to provide assistance to directly affected communities, as well as the measures adopted to evacuate and protect populations at risk. 

The Commission recalls that, in accordance with the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, States Parties have the obligation to take appropriate measures to ensure the protection of fundamental rights, including the right to life, the right to dignity, the right to health, the right to education, and the right of peoples to a satisfactory environment conducive to their development. 

The African Commission believes that Mozambique will spare no effort in taking appropriate measures to the situation. It therefore invites the Mozambican authorities to continue and strengthen, as necessary, measures aimed at, inter alia:

• Ensure effective, safe, and continuous access to drinking water, sanitation services, healthcare, adequate nutrition, and education, including within reception centres;
• Ensure greater protection of the most vulnerable people, in particular children, women, the elderly and persons with disabilities, including against the risks of abuse and exploitation in situations of displacement; 
• Intensify alert, evacuation and risk prevention mechanisms, as well as coordination with humanitarian actors, so that assistance reaches affected communities quickly and unhindered. 

The African Commission stands in solidarity with the Mozambican people at this time of pain and distress, deeply regretting the loss of human life and involuntary displacement, and calls on the regional and international community to mobilize in support of humanitarian response efforts, in order to enable the Government to address this emergency, whose impacts go beyond national borders and affect the continent as a whole.

In this regard, the Commission reiterates the importance of implementing human rights-based responses to climate disasters, in line with its resolution 417 (LXIV) 2019 on the human rights impacts of extreme weather in Eastern and Southern Africa due to climate change. 

Banjul, 22 January 2026

Honorable Commissioner Maria Teresa MANUELA
Commissioner responsible for the situation of human rights in the Republic of Mozambique

 Honorable Commissioner Selma SASSI-SAFER
Special Rapporteur on Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Internally Displaced Persons and Migrants in Africa

– on behalf of African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR).

Source: APO

Education ranks third among the most important problems that Africans think require urgent government attention, up from sixth place in 2021/2023, the latest Afrobarometer (www.Afrobarometer.org) Pan-Africa Profile (https://apo-opa.co/49WCrRO) reveals.

The new report, based on 50,961 interviews conducted during Afrobarometer’s Round 10 surveys across 38 African countries in 2024/2025, shows that only half of citizens are satisfied with their government’s performance on education.

While younger citizens have more education than their elders, educational attainment varies widely by country and reflects persistent disadvantages among women, the poor, and rural residents.

Few respondents say that families still prioritise boys’ education over girls’, but nearly three in 10 report that schoolgirls often face discrimination, harassment, and requests for sexual favours from their teachers.

Analysis of the data also shows that Africans value the right to education for school-age mothers: Overwhelming majorities say that girls who become pregnant or have children should be allowed to continue their education.

Key findings

• On average across 38 countries, education places third on Africans’ list of most important problems that their governments should address, up from sixth place in 2021/2023 (Figure 1).
  • Education is tied with the increasing cost of living, infrastructure/roads, and water supply, trailing only health and unemployment.
• Only half (49%) of respondents think their government is performing “fairly well” or “very well” on education, while the other half (49%) give their leaders poor marks (Figure 2).
  • Assessments are overwhelmingly favourable in some countries, led by Zambia (84%) and Tanzania (81%). By contrast, fewer than one in three citizens think their government is doing a good job on education in Angola (29%), Chad (28%), Nigeria (24%), and Congo-Brazzaville (22%).
• Nearly two in 10 adults (18%) have post-secondary education, while a similar proportion (16%) report having no formal schooling. The largest share (39%) claim secondary school as their highest level of education, while 26% have primary schooling (Figure 3).
  • Demographic groups differ in educational attainment, reflecting disadvantages among women, the poor, and rural residents. Younger Africans have more education than their elders.
• Only 13% of respondents say girls are “often” or “always” prevented from attending school because their families prioritise boys’ education, though this figure ranges up to 27% in Malawi and 28% in Cameroon (Figure 4).
• Almost three in 10 citizens (27%) say that schoolgirls are “often” or “always” discriminated against, harassed, or harangued for sexual favours by teachers.
  • But there is huge variation by country: Seven in 10 Gabonese (71%) and more than half (55%) of Cameroonians report that girl students frequently experience such treatment, while fewer than one in 10 say the same in Madagascar (9%) and Mauritius (2%) (Figure 5).
• Citizens overwhelmingly (81%) endorse allowing girls who become pregnant or have children to continue their education, including 43% who “strongly agree” with the idea (Figure 6).

Afrobarometer surveys

Afrobarometer is a pan-African, non-partisan survey research network that provides reliable data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life. Ten survey rounds in up to 45 countries have been completed since 1999. Round 10 surveys (2024/2025) cover 38 countries.

Afrobarometer’s national partners conduct face-to-face interviews in the language of the respondent’s choice with samples of 1,200-2,400 adults that yield country-level results with margins of error of +/-3 to +/-2 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afrobarometer.

For more information, please contact:
Asafika Mpako
Afrobarometer communications coordinator for Southern Africa
Email: ampako@afrobarometer.org
Telephone: +2783 979 8299

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Visit us online at www.Afrobarometer.org.
Follow our releases on #VoicesAfrica.

Source: APO

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As Africa’s climate ambitions collide with tightening fiscal realities, attention is shifting from commitments to delivery. While governments across the continent have adopted climate and development strategies, turning these plans into bankable, investable projects remains a critical challenge. According to the Africa Climate Finance Tracking Report 2025, current climate finance flows meet only around 25% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s annual climate financing needs, highlighting the scale of the delivery gap.

It is against this backdrop that Africa’s Green Economy Summit (AGES) 2026 (http://apo-opa.co/4qwDizD) will take place from 24–27 February 2026 in Cape Town. Held under the theme “From Ambition to Action: Scaling Investment in Africa’s Green and Blue Solutions,” the summit will convene policymakers, investors, project developers, and development partners to focus on what it takes to move climate projects from planning to implementation.

Africa continues to receive a disproportionately small share of global climate finance, even as climate-related shocks, energy constraints, and water stress intensify across the continent. At the same time, declining concessional flows and rising competition for private capital are accelerating a shift toward investment-led approaches and the development of stronger, more resilient project pipelines.

“Global climate discussions often focus on commitments and coordination, but delivery ultimately depends on where capital decisions are made,” said Emmanuelle Nicholls, Group Director – Green Economy at VUKA Group. “Africa’s Green Economy Summit creates a space to examine which projects, in which markets, are ready to meet today’s financial realities and move toward implementation.”

Unlike global climate forums centred on pledges and declarations, AGES 2026 is structured around where capital is flowing, where it is stalling, and which projects are realistically positioned to reach financial close. The programme will examine the practical conditions required for delivery, including risk allocation, regulatory certainty, and investment readiness across key green and blue economy sectors.

“The real constraint is not a lack of projects, but a lack of financing structures that can meet projects where they are,” said Teboho Makhabane, Head of ESG and Impact at Sanlam Investments. “Platforms like AGES matter because they bring the right partners together to design innovative finance solutions that can unlock viable projects, deliver real economic impact, and generate sustainable returns.”

Reinforcing its continental mandate, the African Union will return as host organisation of AGES 2026. The summit will also convene the AU–Green Recovery Action Plan (AU-GRAP) Grand Finale Roundtable, marking the conclusion of Phase I of the programme. The session will reflect on the outcomes of five Green Investment Roundtables and set the direction for Phase II implementation, positioning AU-GRAP as a continental mechanism for mobilising climate and nature finance.

“We can only close the climate and nature finance gap if we understand the real movements of capital, both the momentum and the constraints,” said Barbara Buchner, Global Managing Director, Climate Policy Initiative. “There is progress, but it is uneven, and finance is still not reaching the regions and sectors that need it most. An objective view of where global climate finance is heading and how it aligns with broader development goals is essential for unlocking investment at scale and helping Africa effectively deploy capital to meet its ambitious goals.”

A central feature of the summit is its Investment Pitch and Showcase, which will present a curated pipeline of over 50 vetted African projects spanning renewable energy, battery storage, climate-resilient water systems, electric mobility, waste-to-value solutions, circular manufacturing, climate-smart agriculture, and resilience technologies.

AGES 2026 is supported by a growing coalition of partners committed to Africa’s green transition, including Sanlam Investments, Standard Bank, UNOPS, UNEP, FSD Africa, Wesgro, the City of Cape Town, Polyco, KULU Eco Services, the Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL), AFD and Atlantis Special Economic Zone.

By focusing on where capital meets implementation, Africa’s Green Economy Summit 2026 aims to accelerate a more grounded, investment-ready phase of climate action across the continent.

For more information or registration: www.GreenEconomySummit.com

To download the event brochure, click here (http://apo-opa.co/4jVIhHr).

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group.

Additional Link: https://apo-opa.co/4jVGpi5

Media enquiries and interview requests: 
Elize Engle
Pr1@tishalacommunications.com 
+27 63 574 5249

Tshepang Mokoena
Pr@tishalacommunications.com 
+27 76 682 9608

About Africa’s Green Economy Summit (AGES):
Africa’s Green Economy Summit (AGES) (http://apo-opa.co/4qwDizD) is a premier pan-African platform dedicated to accelerating Africa’s transition to a sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient economy. Hosted by VUKA Group, AGES brings together policymakers, investors, project developers, innovators, and business leaders to unlock green finance, scale bankable projects, and drive actionable solutions across energy, mobility, infrastructure, agriculture, water, waste, and the blue economy. Through high-level content, deal-making opportunities, and strategic networking, AGES turns ambition into action for Africa’s green future.

About VUKA Group:
VUKA Group (https://WeAreVUKA.com) brings people and organisations together to connect through platforms that drive growth and transformation across Africa’s key industries. With over 20 years of experience on the continent, VUKA delivers sector-leading platforms across Energy, Mining, Mobility, Retail, Sustainability, and Women Empowerment—creating spaces where knowledge is shared, partnerships are formed, and real economic impact is achieved.

Source: APO – Report:

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The Vice President, Mr. Sebastien Pillay, welcomed Ms. Alka Bhatia, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative for Mauritius and Seychelles, during a courtesy call at State House on Friday. 

Providing an opportunity to review the longstanding and productive partnership between the government of Seychelles and UNDP, the meeting’s discussions focused on capacity building, the strengthening of institutional governance, climate resilience, and socio-economic initiatives aimed at improving the well-being of the Seychellois people.

The Vice President highlighted the strong alignment between the Government’s development agenda and UNDP’s priorities, noting Seychelles’ emphasis on people-centred development, poverty alleviation, and sustained investment in key sectors such as health, education, housing, and infrastructure. 

He underscored the importance of further strengthening cooperation as Seychelles transitions to high-income status with new development challenges and increasingly relies on bilateral and strategic partnerships to consolidate development gains.

The Vice President, who also holds responsibility for Information, emphasised the need to accelerate service delivery through the digitisation of information. He highlighted ongoing efforts to modernise the digital sector, reduce administrative burdens, and improve public access to information through the revamping of existing electronic structures. In this context, he specifically mentioned the Seychelles Registrar and the National Bureau of Statistics as key institutions for incorporating digitalisation.

Ms. Bhatia welcomed the priorities outlined and reaffirmed UNDP’s commitment to supporting Seychelles through its global expertise. She emphasised the importance of inclusive digital public infrastructure, data-driven policymaking, and informed decision-making as essential tools for strengthening governance and accelerating service delivery. 

She further outlined UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2026–2029, which focuses on advancing human development while protecting the planet through four strategic objectives: prosperity for all, effective governance, crisis resilience, and a healthy planet, supported by accelerators including digital and AI transformation, gender equality, and sustainable finance.

Climate change, innovative financing, and access to affordable technology were highlighted as key areas for continued collaboration.

Ms. Bhatia praised the country’s leadership in environmental conservation while underscoring the need for a whole-of-society approach to building a smarter, greener, and more inclusive Seychelles.

Other discussions touched on ongoing and completed collaborative initiatives, including projects related to early warning systems, data and information management, community outreach, and value chain development in the honey and cinnamon sectors, aimed at boosting economic empowerment and export readiness. Reference was also made to the successful implementation of the “Tax Inspectors Without Borders for Criminal Investigation” programme, which strengthened tax audit capacity and domestic resource mobilisation.

As part of her visit, Ms. Bhatia officially presented her credentials on Thursday to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Barry Faure, as the accredited UNDP Resident Representative for Mauritius and Seychelles.

The meeting concluded with a reaffirmation of the strong partnership between Seychelles and UNDP, founded on shared values and a common vision for sustainable development with confidence and continuity. Seychelles’ formal relationship with UNDP began in 1977, when the government of Seychelles and UNDP signed the Standard Basic Assistance Agreement that established the framework for long‑term cooperation on national development efforts.

– on behalf of State House Seychelles.

Source: APO

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Africa’s natural gas potential is undeniably significant, with the continent ranking second globally in terms of discovered but undeveloped gas resources. According to the African Energy Chamber’s (AEC) State of African Energy 2026 Outlook (https://EnergyChamber.org), more than 550 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of recoverable gas remain undeveloped, highlighting a strategic opportunity for investors. Major basins such as Mozambique’s Rovuma Basin (129 tcf) and Nigeria’s Niger Delta (113 tcf) underscore the scale of opportunity. However, opportunities in the sector lie not only in finding supply, but creating viable routes to monetization, industrialization and domestic demand.

LNG Exports Anchor Monetization

With significant export capacity already online, LNG remains the most established monetization route for African gas. In 2024, Africa supplied 34.7 million tons of LNG – with sub-Saharan Africa alone contributing 26.9 million tons. Nigeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon were already exporters, while Mozambique’s Coral Sul FLNG and Senegal-Mauritania’s Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project have added new capacity since 2022. Africa’s geographical proximity to both European and Asian markets give the continent a strategic advantage as west and southwest African LNG producers can serve as swing suppliers based on price spreads between Europe and Asia.

Meanwhile, several African export projects include domestic market obligations (DMOs), providing a portion of supply for local power and industrial use. Senegal, for example, plans to draw much of its gas-to-power feed from DMOs tied to GTA and the proposed Yakaar-Teranga LNG project. While DMOs can stimulate early domestic demand, they introduce counterparty and pricing risks. Furthermore, domestic gas prices are often far below international netback levels, creating a challenge for developers.

Global LNG supply is forecast to increase sharply through 2030, driven by the U.S. and Qatar. According to the AEC’s report, this has the potential to push Asian and European benchmark prices down from the $10-$13 per million British thermal unit (MMBtu) range seen in 2024-2025, potentially falling below $6 per MMBtu by the late 2020s. In this context, Africa must compete with increasingly competitive exporters while continuing to develop new projects and supply sources.

Domestic Gas: Power and Industrialization

Gas is expected to grow its share of primary energy demand globally, and African gas demand is forecast to grow by 60% by 2050. North Africa accounts for around two-thirds of Africa’s gas output, and gas dominates the power mix in Algeria and Egypt. Sub-Saharan Africa has a smaller gas-to-power footprint, but it is expanding, with Nigeria boasting 12.6 GW of installed gas-fired capacity. Ghana and Mozambique follow with 2.9 GW and 1.1 GW, respectively, while smaller plants operate in Senegal, Angola, Ivory Coast, Tanzania and South Africa.

Industrial use of gas remains limited but is growing, with South Africa currently serving as the region’s most advanced market for gas derivatives, including ammonia and gas-to-liquids. With the goal of reducing reliance on imports, Angola’s National Gas Plan prioritizes gas for industrial sectors such as petrochemicals, fertilizers and metals. According to the AEC report, gas also has potential in mining and metals processing in countries such as Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Infrastructure and Pricing Constraints

Lacking regional gas transportation networks capable of linking supply basins with demand centers, processing facilities and export terminals, infrastructure remains one of the most significant barriers to gas monetization in Africa. This lack of connectivity constrains both domestic market growth and the ability to move gas efficiently to export hubs.

Pricing is another major challenge throughout the continent, with domestic prices typically regulated and often well below export netbacks. Nigeria’s domestic benchmark price was set at $2.13 per MMBtu in April 2025, while international LNG prices were around $11-$13 per MMBtu in mid-2025. Therefore, the AEC’s report concludes that low domestic prices can stimulate demand but may discourage investment in supply projects, especially non-associated gas developments.

“Africa’s gas sector faces a complex set of constraints, but the opportunities are substantial,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, AEC. “Government’s must balance affordability and energy access with the need to provide returns that support investment in pipelines, processing facilities and power plants. With the right balance of infrastructure investment, policy reform and strategic partnerships, gas can become a cornerstone of Africa’s energy transition and industrialization drive.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.