Category: Africa

Source: APO

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Zambian authorities suddenly closed and cordoned off the courts without credible explanation on August 24, 2026, effectively blocking the filing of any legal challenges to the results of the August 13 presidential election, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities should immediately allow the courts to reopen.

Zambian police stated that the closures were an “intelligence-led and preventive measure,” without providing details. A notice from the chief administrator of the judiciary to court staff, seen by Human Rights Watch, said the court premises were closed “for security reasons.” The notice said guidance on opening the courts “will be issued in due course, once the situation is contained.” The courts’ closure coincided with the deadline to file any legal challenges to declaring the incumbent, President Hakainde Hichilema, the winner. 

“The courts play a vital role in protecting the rights guaranteed under Zambia’s constitution for resolving election-related disputes,” said Allan Ngari, Africa advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. “Measures that effectively deny the opposition crucial access to the courts to challenge the conduct and validity of the presidential election are a blow to the administration of law, transparency, and due process in Zambia.”

Under article 103 of the Constitution of Zambia, court challenges to election outcomes must be filed within seven days of the declaration of results. Challengers may petition the Constitutional Court to nullify the election of the declared winner on the grounds that the person was not validly elected; or that a provision of the constitution or other law relating to presidential elections was not complied with.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia declared President Hichilema the winner on August 18. The official tally had him winning 60.7 percent of the vote, with 38 percent for his opponent, Brian Mundubile. Following the announcement, Mundubile alleged “serious irregularities, inconsistencies and circumstances surrounding the conduct, counting, transmission, and declaration of results” and said he would challenge the results in court. 

From the declaration of the results on August 18, the last day on which a petition challenging the results of the presidential election could have been lawfully filed was August 24.

Closing the courts under the circumstances raises serious concerns, particularly for the administration of justice in Zambia, Human Rights Watch said. 

One lawyer told Human Rights Watch that he arrived at the High Court in Lusaka on the morning of August 24 to find the premises cordoned off by heavily armed police officers, who ordered him to leave.

A statement signed by seven Zambian civil society organizations said sealing off court premises across the country and suspending judicial services entirely had deprived Zambians of their constitutional right to file an electoral challenge and have it heard. The organizations stated that “the right of access to the courts is meaningless if the courts can simply be closed at the precise moment citizens most need them.”

The Law Association of Zambia raised concerns, in a media statement, that beyond the memorandum to judiciary staff, the authorities had provided no explanation or justification for closing the courts. All of this fuels concerns that the real reason for closing the courts was to frustrate the right of aggrieved parties to challenge the election results, Human Rights Watch said.

Under international human rights law, Zambia is required to uphold the independence of its courts. The judiciary should be free from “improper influences, inducements, pressures, threats, or interferences.” Human rights law also requires Zambia to offer effective pathways to a remedy for human rights violations, which requires meaningful access to justice, including through the courts.

“Any security measures affecting the courts should be strictly necessary, proportionate, and time-limited, while preserving access for urgent filings,” Ngari said. “No one should be denied an effective remedy because the courts were unavailable during a constitutionally prescribed filing period. Meaningful access to an independent judiciary is essential to public confidence in Zambia’s electoral process and the rule of law.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Source: APO

On 25 August 2026, H.E. Mr. Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, held bilateral talks with H.E. Mrs. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria, in Abuja, to discuss ways to further strengthen Thailand – Nigeria bilateral relations, building upon the cordial relations and cooperation between the two countries across various areas.

Both sides agreed to expand cooperation in trade, investment, manufacturing, energy, agriculture, digital technology and services, as well as promote private-sector linkages through enhanced cooperation between the chambers of commerce of the two countries. The Deputy Prime Minister noted that Thailand regards Nigeria as an important strategic partner in Africa and that the two countries have potential as gateways connecting Africa and Southeast Asia. The Nigerian side, meanwhile, viewed Thailand as a successful model in various areas, including development, education, agriculture, culture and tourism, and expressed readiness to exchange knowledge and experiences in these areas.

The Deputy Prime Minister highlighted the Thailand–Africa Initiative (TAI), which aims to promote comprehensive engagement with Africa across the pillars of political, economic and development cooperation, as well as multilateral cooperation. Thailand also expressed willingness to share its development experience, for example, through the Thailand – Nigerian Sustainable Agricultural Technology Learning Centre project between the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA) and the Federal Cooperative College, Oji River, in Enugu State, which has potential to be expanded into other areas, including trilateral cooperation among Thailand, Nigeria and other African countries, as well as regional African organization, such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU).

On this occasion, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Technical Cooperation, establishing a framework for consultations and advancing practical development cooperation. The signing marks an important milestone in further strengthening bilateral relations.

In addition, the Deputy Prime Minister announced that he would host the Thailand – Nigeria Business Forum in Lagos on 27 August 2026, bringing together Thai businesses to explore investment opportunities in Nigeria. Both sides underscored that stronger private-sector cooperation would significantly catalyze the translation of the Thailand – Nigeria partnership into tangible outcomes.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand.

Source: APO

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to achieving sustainable electricity supply across Nigeria’s health facilities, with the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, describing reliable power as a critical determinant of health outcomes.

Dr. Salako stated this on Wednesday at the official launch of the Renewable Asset Management Company (RAMCO) of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), held at the Congress Hall, Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, with the theme, “Powering Sustainable Growth: Launching Nigeria’s Renewable Asset Management Company.”

The Minister said the sustainability of renewable-energy infrastructure was particularly important to the health sector because electricity in healthcare facilities was not merely an infrastructure requirement but a critical clinical input.

Speaking as both a physician and a Minister, he explained that electricity powers essential services such as vaccine cold chains, oxygen concentrators, operating theatres and neonatal incubators, stressing that power failure in health facilities could translate into loss of time, reduced quality of care and, in some cases, loss of life.

The Minister also acknowledged the interventions of the Federal Ministry of Power and the REA in supporting the electrification of health facilities.

He noted that under the Energizing Education Programme, federal tertiary health institutions, including teaching hospitals in Maiduguri and Calabar, had benefited from renewable-energy interventions, while under the Nigeria Electrification Project, 100 health facilities had received 50-kilowatt containerised solar hybrid systems, with a second phase targeting 400 Primary Health Care Centres.

Despite these interventions and the support of development partners, Dr. Salako said energy poverty remained a major challenge within Nigeria’s health system.

According to him, between 60 and 70 per cent of Nigeria’s primary and tertiary health facilities experience frequent power outages or have no electricity at all, while about 40 per cent of functional Primary Health Care Centres have no electricity access.

He further noted that most of the remaining facilities receive only about six to ten hours of electricity daily, while teaching hospitals requiring between three and eight megawatts for optimal operation receive roughly five hours of grid supply daily and may commit as much as 40 to 50 per cent of their operating expenditure to energy, much of it on diesel.

Dr. Salako recalled that against this background, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, approved the establishment of the Nigeria Power-for-Health Initiative following the first National Stakeholders’ Dialogue on Power in the Health Sector held in September 2025.

He said the dialogue resulted in a Compact for the Sustainable Electrification of Public and Private Health Facilities, signed by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Federal Ministry of Power, sub-national governments, the Committee of CMDs/MDs, the private sector, development partners and civil society.

The Compact, he further said, established a clear target of ensuring that at least 30 per cent of health facilities in Nigeria have steady power supply by the end of 2027, alongside an implementation plan and governance structure involving relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, including the REA.

The Minister emphasised that government alone could not finance the scale of energy infrastructure required across Nigeria’s health system, stressing the need to mobilise private capital, development finance, climate finance and innovative financing mechanisms.

He said the objective was not simply to install solar panels or batteries, but to build resilient health infrastructure capable of delivering reliable power over the long term, reiterating that this is where RAMCO becomes particularly relevant to the health sector.

Dr. Salako explained that evidence from solar systems installed in Nigerian Primary Health Care Centres indicates that more than 30 per cent become non-functional within three years of commissioning, with the problem often linked not to the technology itself but to inadequate preventive maintenance, unavailable spare parts, lack of dedicated budgetary provisions and unclear responsibility for the assets after project completion.

He said RAMCO’s asset-management model—build, operate, optimise, aggregate, refinance and reinvest—could help transform renewable-energy installations from short-term projects into professionally managed national infrastructure assets.

The Minister proposed four areas of practical synergy between RAMCO and the Nigeria Power-for-Health Initiative.

First, he called for health facilities to be recognised as a distinct asset class within RAMCO’s portfolio, beginning with teaching hospitals and health facilities already solarised under existing Federal Government programmes.

Second, he advocated the integration of RAMCO’s professional asset-management model with Facility Energy Management Teams being institutionalised in hospitals, noting that effective sustainability requires both on-site technical ownership and professional management.

Third, he called for RAMCO’s asset register to be integrated with health-facility energy audits, stressing that improved data would enable both sectors to plan and invest from a common evidence base.

Fourth, he proposed that a defined share of the capital recycled by RAMCO should be directed towards Primary Health Care Centres, particularly facilities that may be less commercially attractive but are critical to improving maternal and newborn health outcomes.

“For our part, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare commits to offering RAMCO a seat within the Inter-Agency Technical Committee of the Power-for-Health Initiative,” he said.

He further pledged that the Ministry would advance electricity as a dedicated budget line across all tiers of healthcare, complete and regularly update facility energy audits, enforce certification and installation standards, including NEMSA certification, and harmonise partner and private-sector interventions under government leadership.

Dr. Salako stressed that a credible asset-management framework would make healthcare electrification more attractive to long-term investors by ensuring that renewable assets are professionally managed, performance data are transparent, maintenance is predictable and payment structures are credible.

The Minister reiterated that Nigeria’s target of achieving steady power supply in at least one-third of its health facilities by the end of 2027 would not be achieved through procurement alone.

“We will reach it by building assets that last, and by managing them as the national infrastructure they are,” he stated.

He concluded with a call for RAMCO to help ensure that sustainable renewable-energy infrastructure keeps the lights on where they matter most—in facilities delivering essential healthcare to Nigerians, and congratulated the REA, the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) and InfraCorp on the launch of RAMCO, assuring the Ministry of Health continued support.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Federal Ministry of Health & Social Welfare, Nigeria.

Source: APO

The National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board has been directed to strengthen the regulation of gaming activities warning that unlicensed operators are increasingly exploiting communities especially in rural areas.

The legislators on the Committee of Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) tasked the Board to intensify licensing, monitoring and enforcement against illegal lotteries, gaming machines and online platforms.

Kalungu County West MP, Hon. Joseph Ssewungu said several gaming and lottery businesses operated by foreign nationals have spread to rural areas where enforcement remains inadequate.

“Many Indians, Chinese and other Asians have established gaming and lottery businesses in rural areas. Licensing is a source of revenue for your entity because your budget is minimal and our interest is in licensing,” Ssewungu said during the COSASE meeting on Wednesday, 26 August 2026.

He cited Kalungu District, where he previously intervened to close several unlicensed lottery businesses that were collecting money from unsuspecting residents.

“Many of them were not licensed but were charging money. People were complaining that they have sold all their coffee after playing lotteries,” he said.

Ssewungu asked the Board to clearly explain its licensing and enforcement mechanisms arguing that rural communities were bearing the greatest consequences of illegal gaming.

PWD Representative, Hon. Bumali Mpindi questioned the effectiveness of the Board’s information technology systems in tracking revenue generated through online gaming. He said the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) had previously reported difficulties in collecting taxes from the industry.

“You license online gaming companies and they collect a lot of money but the country does not adequately benefit. You are talking about ICT; what is difficult about collecting this money when you have all these systems?” Mpindi asked.

Budadiri East MP, Hon. Julius Nakiyi asked the Board to ensure fairness in the taxation of both online and land-based gaming. He also called for a public awareness campaign on the dangers of excessive gambling.

”We see that people spend more time on these games than work; you need to strike a balance between productivity and gaming,” he said.

The Board’s Chief Executive Officer, Denis Ngabirano said the Board has in the past six years stepped up efforts to crack down on illegal gaming and lotteries, reporting that 9,983 illegal gaming machines have been confiscated.

“It is true that we have illegal equipment but they are not imported when they assembled, some are imported as electronic spare parts,” said Ngabirano adding that the board has successfully blocked 57 illegal online gaming sites.

Ngabirano added that technology had improved the monitoring of online gaming and increased tax collections between the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 financial years.

“Most of the tax we are collecting is from online gaming; it is over 68 per cent. The increase was because of the online financial monitoring system we put in place and we plan to digitize all our systems,” Ngabirano said.

He explained that URA has only complained of challenges with collecting withholding tax from land-based casinos which he said remains difficult because the tax is imposed on winnings, which are easier to track electronically. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.

Source: APO – Report:

Government plans to rehabilitate 120 traditional secondary schools in a bid to upgrade their infrastructure and make them competitive with the newly built seed schools.

The State Minister for Education and Sports, Hon. Peter Ogwang, revealed this during the plenary sitting on Wednesday, 26 August 2026 while responding to a concern raised by Hon. Peter Obong Acuda.

According to Obong, traditional secondary schools are deteriorating and losing students to seed secondary schools because their structures are outdated and not up to standard.

“With the Competency-Based Curriculum [CBC] that requires fully equipped laboratories and functional structures like libraries, government should first do research before constructing new schools” he said adding that, ’schools like Akokoro SS are disadvantaged because of the old structures and attract few students yet the seed secondary schools are overwhelmed’.

Ogwang acknowledged the problem and said government has a programme to renovate traditional schools with 120 schools constructed between the 1960s and 1980s earmarked for rehabilitation.

“We will undertake renovations of Comboni College, Lango College, St. Catherine Girls School, Dr. Obote College, Adwari SS and Aloi SS,” Ogwang said.

He added that government will work with development partners to rehabilitate more schools beyond the initial 120.

Kalungu West MP,  Hon. Gonzaga Ssewungu  asked government to take the primary schools into consideration.

“When you talk about rehabilitation of secondary schools, key attention should be given to Universal Primary Education (UPE) schools since many of them are condemned,” Ssewungu said.

He noted that while most secondary schools charge fees, UPE schools survive on only capitation grants yet many lack basic facilities. 

“I implore the minister to give key attention to primary schools. Most don’t even have toilets,” he added.

Ogwang responded that resources are channeled through local governments and urged MPs to take an active role as ex-officials in their district councils.

– on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.

Source: APO – Report:

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The Portfolio Committee on Social Development has expressed concern about the confusion surrounding the replacement of SASSA Gold Cards with Postbank Black Cards, amid the looming 31 August 2026 deadline.

The committee is particularly concerned that some beneficiaries, including older persons and people with disabilities, are still struggling to navigate the card replacement process at a time when Postbank is warning that failure to migrate could result in disruptions in accessing social grants.

The committee wants urgent clarity from Postbank and SASSA on whether every beneficiary who still needs a Black Card can realistically be assisted before Monday’s deadline. The committee needs to know how many people are still using Gold Cards, where they are located, whether there are sufficient replacement sites in those areas and what is being done to assist those who cannot stand in queues or travel long distances.

The committee has previously raised concerns about the rollout of the Black Cards, including the difficulties experienced by older persons and people with disabilities. It is therefore deeply concerning that beneficiaries may once again find themselves under pressure as another deadline approaches.

Furthermore, the committee is concerned about reports of confusion surrounding the issuing of Black Cards in some areas and the difficulties experienced by some beneficiaries with verification and related processes. Government institutions involved in paying social grants have a responsibility to ensure that administrative processes do not become an obstacle between beneficiaries and the support to which they are entitled.

The committee therefore calls on Postbank, SASSA and the Department of Social Development to urgently provide a clear account of the state of readiness ahead of the deadline on 31 August. In particular, the committee wants assurances that beneficiaries who have been unable to replace their cards despite making reasonable attempts to do so will not be left without access to their grants.

The committee further calls for special arrangements for older persons, people with disabilities and beneficiaries living in rural and remote communities who may have trouble reaching replacement sites.

The committee will engage with the Department of Social Development, SASSA and Postbank urgently on the outstanding challenges and measures being put in place to prevent any disruption to grant payments.

– on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

Source: APO – Report:

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Around 385 million people in the African region are pushed into or deeper into poverty each year due to out-of-pocket expenditure on health. At the same time, governments are facing growing national financial pressures as public spending stagnates, debt burden increases and external assistance declines.

Health ministers gathering in Addis Ababa for the Seventy-sixth session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa today endorsed a new strategy that sets out a roadmap for sustainable health financing over the next decade to help countries build more resilient and self-reliant health systems.

The Strategy for Financing the Future of Health in the WHO African Region (2026–2035) responds to one of the Region’s most pressing challenges: ensuring that everyone can continue to access quality health services without financial hardship, even as countries navigate changing economic realities. The strategy promotes stronger domestic resource mobilization, more efficient use of available resources and financing systems that are better prepared to withstand future shocks.

Over the past two decades, countries across the region have introduced important health financing reforms. Yet progress remains uneven. Direct payments by households still account for an average of 35% of current health expenditure, well above the WHO benchmark of 20%, while many countries remain heavily dependent on external financing at a time when development assistance is projected to decline significantly. In many low-income countries, debt servicing now exceeds government spending on health, placing additional pressure on already stretched health systems.

“Health is one of the best investments a country can make. But financing health sustainably requires more than increasing resources, it requires making smarter, fairer and more resilient investments that protect people from financial hardship while strengthening health systems. This strategy reflects our shared commitment to ensuring that every investment in health delivers greater value for the people of Africa,” said Dr Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa.

The strategy outlines seven priority areas for action, including strengthening health financing governance, increasing domestic resource mobilization, improving the pooling of health funds, making purchasing of health services more strategic, modernizing public financial management and strengthening financing for essential public health functions. Together, these reforms aim to improve efficiency, expand financial protection and ensure that limited resources generate greater health impact.

By 2035, the strategy aims for 56% of Member States to demonstrate sustained increases in government spending on health, 56% to improve financial protection for their populations, and 75% to have up-to-date national health financing strategies that support effective resource mobilization and use. It also seeks sustained regional progress in reducing the number of people pushed into poverty because of health spending.

Financing health is about far more than budgets. It is about ensuring that families can seek care without fear of financial hardship, that health systems remain resilient during times of crisis, and that countries have the resources needed to protect and improve the health of their populations. Through this strategy, African countries have committed to building financing systems that are more sustainable, equitable and resilient for generations to come.

– on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.

Source: APO – Report:

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The future of Africa is being shaped today. Not in boardrooms or parliaments, but before birth, and in the earliest years of a child’s life. By 2050, two out of every five children born globally will be African. Yet today, up to two thirds of children in sub-Saharan Africa may never reach their full developmental potential, limiting their opportunities and undermining the continent’s future health, prosperity and economic growth.

To address the challenge, African ministers of health meeting for the Seventy-sixth session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa in Addis Ababa today endorsed a new regional strategy to give every child the best possible start in life.

The first years of life lay the groundwork for lifelong health, learning and well-being. Yet millions of children across the region still lack the conditions they need to thrive: good nutrition, quality health services, responsive caregiving, opportunities for play and early learning, caregiver support and well-being, and safe, nurturing environments. The Regional Strategy on Advancing Early Childhood Development Outcomes in the WHO African Region (2026–2032) reflects a shared commitment by countries to strengthen systems and scale up services and support for children, families and communities from the very beginning of life, so that every child can survive, thrive and reach their full potential.

Investing in young children is not only a moral imperative, but also one of the smartest choices countries can make. Evidence shows that every US$ 1 invested in early childhood development can generate returns of between US$ 6 and US$ 17, through better health, stronger learning outcomes and increased productivity. As African countries work to accelerate sustainable development, giving children the best start in life offers a powerful opportunity to build healthier societies and stronger economies, and a more prosperous future.

“Every child born in Africa carries the promise of our future. That future is shaped in the womb, in homes and communities where children receive the care, nutrition, protection and opportunities they need to thrive, supported by responsive health and social systems. By supporting children from the earliest years of life, countries are building stronger families, healthier communities and a more prosperous continent,” said Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa.

The strategy calls for coordinated action across health, nutrition, social protection, water and sanitation, education, finance and other sectors, recognizing that no single sector can meet the needs of children alone. At its heart is a commitment to supporting parents, caregivers and communities, who play the most important role in helping children survive, grow, learn and thrive.

The strategy encourages countries to strengthen developmental monitoring, expand support for children with developmental delays or disabilities, enhance services for parents and caregivers, and improve national data systems to better track progress and guide future investments in young children.

WHO will continue to support Member States through technical guidance, capacity-building, policy support and stronger partnerships as countries turn the strategy into action. By acting early and working together, the Region can help millions more children grow, learn and thrive.

– on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.