Category: English

Source: APO

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has challenged Government project managers to demonstrate the actual impact of development projects, saying the completion of buildings and other outputs does not necessarily prove that public funds achieved their intended results.

PAC (Central Government) Committee Chairperson Hon. Patrick Nsamba said government must assess whether projects deliver the outcomes for which they were funded, rather than relying on the number of facilities constructed or services established.

Nsamba made the remarks as the team that implemented the 10-year Competitiveness and Enterprise Development Project (CEDP) appeared before the committee to account for the project’s implementation and results on Tuesday, 06 October 2026.

The project, implemented in two phases between 2014 and 2024 with World Bank financing, supported reforms in land administration, business registration, tourism and the private sector.

The project team told MPs that about US$202.3 million (approx. Shs800 billion), had been spent over the project period. It reported several achievements, including the construction of 22 Ministry of Lands zonal offices, development of a National Land Information System and the digitisation of business registration.

However, Nsamba questioned whether such outputs were sufficient to demonstrate the project’s success.

“I think going forward, among the things that we must always do at the end of the project cycle is to evaluate those indicators,” Nsamba said.

“If you set the indicators right in 2014 and now you are in 2024, you are closing the project, you must be able to attribute certain outcomes out of this, other than talking about outputs at the end of the project,” he added.

He cited the construction of buildings and tourism facilities as examples where the project needed to demonstrate the actual benefits to citizens and the economy.

“Yes, you constructed the building. But how did it improve the business environment?” Nsamba asked adding that, “Yes, you did the hotel in Jinja. But which contribution did it make?”

His concerns followed a presentation by CEDP Project Manager John Marie Kyewalabye, who outlined infrastructure and institutional reforms implemented under the project.

Kyewalabye said the project had, among other interventions, reduced the time required to register a business from 33 days to one day and a few hours, while also putting business registration services online.

He said the project also supported the Uganda Hotel and Tourism Training Institute, Uganda Tourism Board, Uganda Wildlife Authority and provided matching grants to 312 micros, small and medium enterprises worth US$2.79 million.

“The reason we went there was to enhance capacity of Ugandans to be able to provide and work within this hotel sector. Under the Uganda Hotel and Tourism Training Institute, we constructed an application hotel, which the students are using for training. We also completely reconstructed the school, the administration block and the lecture rooms,” he said.

The project team also attributed an increase in non-tax revenue and business registrations to the reforms.

However, Nsamba questioned whether such increases could be directly attributed to CEDP, given that government continued to fund the beneficiary institutions.

Hon. Ignatius Wamakuyu (Ind., Elgon County) questioned how the loan would be repaid, particularly whether government had put mechanisms in place to recover money through fees and charges from land registration, as envisaged in the financing agreement.

The committee also challenged the project team over its claim that interventions had contributed to more than US$320 million in non-tax revenue.

Nsamba said such claims require a clear methodology showing what portion of the revenue was generated as a result of the project.

Hon. Fredrick Angura (NRM, Tororo South County) questioned whether CEDP’s interventions had been duplicating work already being done by ministries and agencies, asking how the project aligned its work plans with those institutions.

An independent assessment cited by the project team rated CEDP’s implementation as successful.

However, the committee’s scrutiny showed that success in implementation and completion of planned activities may not, on their own, establish whether a project produced the intended long-term impact.

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

Source: APO

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The 11th annual meeting of the animal health networks will be held from 6th to 8th of October 2026 in Lomé, Togo, on the theme “Strengthening the surveillance and control of transboundary animal diseases in the ECOWAS region”.

The meeting aims to consolidate regional governance of animal health, strengthen coordination between the various stakeholders, and adopt strategic and operational tools essential for the prevention, early detection and control of transboundary animal diseases.

The meeting will be attended by heads of veterinary services, presidents of national veterinary associations, and focal points from the regional networks of animal health laboratories (RESOLAB) and epidemiological surveillance (RESEPI) from the member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Sahel.

Representatives from the Regional Animal Health Centre (RAHC), the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) and the ECOWAS Regional Centre for Disease Control, as well as technical and financial partners, will also be in attendance.

The meeting will provide an opportunity to present to the heads of veterinary services the findings of the “comparative study of national regulations and legislation on animal health, animal welfare and zoosanitary regulations governing trade in livestock between Sahelian and coastal countries”.

In addition to formal discussions, participants will also examine the epidemiological situation regarding the main transboundary animal diseases in ECOWAS member states.

At the same time, they will analyse and adopt the electronic platform of the Regional Animal Health Information System (RAHIS), developed by the RAHC and designed to improve the collection, analysis, sharing and use of animal health data for rapid and coordinated decision-making.

On the sidelines of the meeting, a gathering of ECOWAS ministers responsible for animal health will be held to endorse regional strategies for the protection and conservation of donkeys by 2030, for the prevention and control of foot-and-mouth disease in West Africa (2026–2030) and for the prevention and control of highly pathogenic avian influenza and the associated action plans (2026–2031).

This 11th annual meeting of animal health networks is organised by the Regional Animal Health Centre (RAHC), a specialised agency of the ECOWAS Commission. Originally based in Bamako, Mali, it is now located in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau.

Established in 2012, the RAHC is responsible for strengthening regional cooperation on animal health and welfare. Its primary remit is to coordinate and harmonise the policies and interventions of ECOWAS Member States in the prevention and control of transboundary animal diseases and zoonoses.

It also contributes to strengthening epidemiological surveillance, improving regional information and notification systems on animal diseases, sharing information and raising awareness amongst veterinary services, professionals and livestock farmers’ organisations.

The RAHC also works to develop the capacities of veterinary services and to strengthen partnerships at regional, continental and international levels.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Source: APO

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has officially launched the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) National Citizens Engagement and Public Sensitisation Campaign, dubbed “ECOWAS for All,” with a call for stronger public awareness and participation in the regional integration process.

Speaking at the Launching Ceremony, the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Honourable James Gyakye Quayson stated that, over the past five decades while ECOWAS had made significant contributions to regional peace and security, free movement, trade and cooperation, many citizens remained unaware of the opportunities and rights available to them under various ECOWAS protocols. The campaign was therefore aimed at bridging the knowledge gap between ECOWAS policies and the everyday experiences of ordinary citizens, he noted.

He cited visa-free travel within the Community, opportunities for regional trade under the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS), and the right to reside and establish businesses in other Member States, subject to applicable national laws, as some of the benefits of regional integration.

Honourable Gyakye Quayson explained that the campaign would adopt a citizen-centred approach through stakeholder forums, market sensitisation activities at Makola and Madina Markets, border community engagements at the Aflao and Elubo border, media outreach, and student workshops would provide platforms for traders, transport operators, students and residents to raise concerns regarding customs procedures, documentation and border processes, while also providing feedback to policymakers and implementing institutions.

He reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to regional integration and “ECOWAS Vision 2050”, and called on traders, transport operators, business associations, educational institutions, the media and government agencies to actively support the campaign and promote greater understanding of ECOWAS programmes and opportunities.

In her welcome remarks, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Khadija Idrissu noted that, the campaign represented Ghana’s practical contribution to the long-standing objective of transforming ECOWAS from a Community of States into a community of people, by bridging the knowledge gap on the opportunities created by ECOWAS in the areas of travel, trade, employment and education, to enable citizens fully access these benefits.

She stated that the Ministry would, in collaboration with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies and key stakeholders, take the campaign directly to communities and border areas to educate citizens while also listening to their concerns. She stressed that feedback from traders, transport operators, border communities, students and other stakeholders would be important in informing efforts to improve the implementation of ECOWAS policies and procedures.

The ECOWAS Resident Representative in Ghana, Ambassador Mohammed Lawan Gana, described the campaign as timely, noting that regional integration could only achieve its full

potential when its benefits were understood, accessible and meaningful to ordinary citizens. He stated that ECOWAS was not merely an institution but a community of people whose success should ultimately be measured by the tangible improvements experienced in their daily lives.

Amb. Mohammed highlighted opportunities available to citizens in trade, education, skills development, entrepreneurship and investment. He also drew attention to initiatives such as the ECOWAS biometric identification system and the SIGMAT automated transit management platform, which are intended to facilitate movement and cross-border trade. He called for sustained efforts to close the gap between regional policies and citizens’ knowledge and experience and encouraged citizens, particularly youth, women, civil society, the private sector, traditional and religious leaders and the media, to become active participants in regional integration.

On his part, Mr. Ahmed Tijani, a Director of the Regional Integration Bureau of the Ministry, gave an overview of the campaign and indicated that the campaign would be heavy on the use of the local Ghanaian languages, where appropriate, in order for the messaging to deeply permeate to the citizens.

The Deputy Commissioner of Immigration and Head of Operations at the Ghana Immigration Service, Mr. Justice Amevor, emphasised the importance of strengthening the implementation of the ECOWAS Free Movement Protocol. He noted that although several measures had been introduced over the years, challenges remained in ensuring the recognition and effective use of regional travel documents.

He explained that the ECOWAS biometric identity card, popularly known in Ghana as Ghana Card, was introduced as part of efforts to harmonise travel documentation and facilitate free movement across Member States. He expressed the hope that the campaign would contribute to greater public understanding and improved implementation of the biometric card as a recognised travel document.

The Secretary-General of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme, Mr. Richard Sarbah Eshun, also welcomed the campaign and used the occasion to sensitise the public on the Brown Card Scheme. He explained that the scheme facilitates compensation for victims of cross-border motor accidents and enables claims arising from such accidents to be handled through the appropriate national bureau rather than requiring affected persons to travel to the country where the vehicle is registered.

The Launch, under the theme, “Bringing ECOWAS Closer to the Citizen: promoting Awareness, Participation and Opportunities for Regional Integration” brought together members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, ECOWAS institutions, business and civil society organisations, the academia and the media fraternity.

The “ECOWAS for All” sensitisation campaign is expected to extend over the coming months, with engagements designed to bring information on ECOWAS directly to citizens and strengthen their participation in the regional integration process. It ultimately seeks to ensure that regional integration moves beyond government institutions and policy frameworks to become a practical reality in the lives of citizens across Ghana.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Ghana.

Source: APO

His Excellency Zaake Wanume Kibedi, Ambassador of the Republic of Uganda to the United Arab Emirates, paid a courtesy visit to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah.

His Excellency the Ambassador extended an invitation to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, to the 5th Edition of Uganda – UAE Business Forum – Fujairah Chapter, scheduled to be held on 29th October 2026 in Fujairah.

The meeting included discussions on matters of mutual interest and ways to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation between the two sides across various fields.

His Excellency the Ambassador expressed his pleasure at meeting the Crown Prince of Fujairah and his appreciation for the warm welcome, praising the significant development taking place across the Emirate of Fujairah in all areas.

The Mission’s delegation was headed by His Excellency Zaake Wanume Kibedi, Ambassador of Uganda, and attended by Ms. Aisa Ismail, Deputy Head of Mission, Mr. James B. Wafula, Minister Counsellor, Mr. Jeffrey F. Baiga, Counsellor, Ms. Erina Zalwango, Counsellor, and Ms. Ashah Nabbanja, First Secretary. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Embassy of the Republic of Uganda, Abudhabi.

Source: APO

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Preliminary results from the 2026 PAFTRAC (https://PAFTRAC.Afreximbank.com/) Africa CEO Trade Survey, presented at the WTO Public Forum in Geneva, revealed that 81.3 per cent of senior executives expect their cross-border activity to expand over the next twelve months.

Intra-African commerce has overtaken China, Europe, and the United States as executives’ principal target destination. However, intra-African merchandise trade remains stalled at 15-18 per cent of total exports, showing negligible change despite the operational rollout of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The survey, now in its sixth year and expanded from 400 respondents in 2021 to over 2,500 in 2026, is the most robust barometer of African executive sentiment on trade available. Its findings point to a continent where the appetite for regional integration is outpacing the systems designed to enable it.

A $31 billion penalty on African trade

At the centre of that structural gap sits a financing barrier that goes beyond access to capital. African sovereign and institutional borrowers consistently attract risk ratings from Western credit agencies that, according to IFC analysis, impose an estimated excess premium of $31 billion annually.

“The core issue is risk perception, or what many of us call a prejudice premium,” said Professor Patrick Utomi, Chairperson of PAFTRAC. “When capital is priced so that an economy actively at war receives more competitive financing than a stable, peaceful African sovereign, the system is misreading reality. Outdated global rules and subjective rating methodologies are imposing a direct tax on African trade.”

The consequences are dire. A total of 57 per cent of the executives surveyed described access to trade finance for cross-border transactions as difficult or very difficult. The IFC estimates Africa’s SME financing gap at more than $331 billion.

Implementation is the bottleneck

The survey’s findings on the AfCFTA reveal a sharp divide between commercial goodwill and operational reality. While 70.2 per cent of respondents report a tangible operational impact from AfCFTA-related reforms, awareness of the agreement’s practical execution mechanisms remains critically low.

More than half of respondents are unfamiliar with the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), a framework designed to bypass the friction of dollar clearing in intra-African transactions. Knowledge of the E-Tariff Book, the African Trade Observatory and the AfCFTA’s non-tariff barrier reporting tools is similarly limited.

Full report: October 2026

The presentation was the first public unveiling of the survey’s preliminary findings. The full 2026 PAFTRAC Africa CEO Trade Survey Report is scheduled for publication in October 2026. It will provide a comprehensive analysis of trade barriers, AfCFTA implementation progress, and financing constraints, and feature private-sector policy recommendations drawn from over 2,500 executives across the continent.

To register interest in the full report or attend the launch webinar, please visit: https://apo-opa.co/4rRN0y2

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Pan-African Private Sector Trade and Investment Committee (PAFTRAC).

Notes to Editors:
The preliminary findings were presented at the WTO Public Forum 2026 in Geneva on 16 September 2026, in a session convened by Afreximbank and PAFTRAC. The session panel comprised Professor Patrick Utomi (PAFTRAC), Helina Bischoff (Swiss-Africa Business Circle), Miyoba Lubemba (International Trade Centre) and Vasiliki Mavroeidi (OECD Development Centre), moderated by Lukwesa Burak (African Business Magazine).

Media enquiries:
For more information on the PAFTRAC Africa CEO Trade Report 2026, including access to the full presentation of preliminary results, please contact Rawan El Araby via email at r.elaraby@icpublications.com

About PAFTRAC:
The Pan-African Private Sector Trade and Investment Committee (PAFTRAC) unites African private-sector leaders and provides a unique advocacy platform that brings together the African private sector and African policymakers to support extra- and intra-African trade, investment, and pan-African enterprise. The platform drives pan-African results by providing a framework for private-sector engagement on trade and investment issues in Africa, including policy formulation and trade negotiations, to support African economies in line with the ambitions of Agenda 2063: “The Africa We Want”. PAFTRAC enhances advocacy and supports policy actions and recommendations of the private sector on trade, and investment issues at the national, trade corridor, regional and multilateral levels.

Source: APO

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President Cyril Ramaphosa will tomorrow, 7 October 2026, officiate the launch of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s (CSIR) FuturePharma facility, which aims to advance pharmaceutical innovation and manufacturing.

The launch will take place at the CSIR in Pretoria and marks an important milestone in efforts to strengthen South Africa’s pharmaceutical innovation ecosystem and expand domestic capacity to develop and manufacture critical medicines and pharmaceutical products.

FuturePharma is an open-access pharmaceutical innovation and manufacturing facility established by the CSIR to support the development and production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and other pharmaceutical technologies, while strengthening South Africa’s pharmaceutical value chain.

The facility aims to bridge the gap between promising laboratory research and the development, scale-up and commercialisation of pharmaceutical technologies. It will provide researchers, innovators and industry partners with access to specialised infrastructure and expertise to advance technologies towards manufacturing, while supporting technology transfer and skills development.

The facility will also support local API and medicine production, helping to reduce dependence on imports and strengthen security of supply. In addition, it will contribute to South Africa’s preparedness for future pandemics and health emergencies by strengthening local pharmaceutical capabilities.

The launch will bring together members of the Executive and senior representatives from government, the science and innovation community, and industry.

President Ramaphosa will officiate the launch as follows:

Date: Wednesday, 7 October 2026
Time: 10h00 
Venue: CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.

Source: APO

Antibiotics, malaria treatments, painkillers, opioids. More than 250 tonnes of medical products were seized over six years in Central Africa. Behind those numbers is an illicit market that thrives not simply despite the region’s fragile health systems, but in part because of them.

When medicines are scarce, unaffordable or simply too far away, illicit sellers have proved adept at filling the void.

That is the dynamic described in a new report released Tuesday by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The illicit trade extends far beyond falsified drugs. It includes genuine medicines diverted from legitimate supply chains, unapproved products and drugs smuggled across borders.

251 tonnes seized

From 2020 through 2025, authorities seized 251 tonnes of medical products in Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Gabon, Central African Republic and Chad. Annual seizures rose from about five tonnes in 2020 to nearly 116 tonnes in 2024, before exceeding 97 tonnes in 2025.

The United Nations cautioned against interpreting the increase as a straightforward measure of the trade’s growth. Larger seizures can reflect both greater trafficking and more aggressive enforcement, and the available data vary considerably among countries and from year to year.

Still, the scale is striking. Cameroon accounted for nearly all of the seizures recorded in 2025, with 96 tonnes intercepted, compared with just 2.5 tonnes five years earlier. The products intercepted across the region range from antibiotics, antimalarial and anti-inflammatory drugs to painkillers and such psychoactive substances as tramadol and pregabalin.

“The report outlines a multimodal trafficking system that uses maritime, riverine, air and road routes and involves a broad range of actors,” said Sylvie Bertrand, UNODC’s regional representative for West and Central Africa.

High costs fuel illicit markets

But the report, produced with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), suggests that the roots of the trade are partly beyond the reach of law enforcement.

Malaria, tuberculosis and HIV remain widespread across the region, while public health systems often struggle to provide treatment. In 2023, the WHO’s universal health-coverage index placed all six countries in the Central African economic bloc among the world’s poorest performers. Chad scored just 26 out of 100, compared with a global average of 71.

Distance and cost compound the problem. In the Central African Republic and Chad, more than half the population lived at least two hours from a public hospital providing emergency care, according to data cited in the report. In Chad, a prefilled insulin syringe cost the equivalent of nearly 16 days’ wages for the lowest-paid government employee.

Competitive pricing

Under those circumstances, buying medicine on the street can become less an alternative to the formal health system than a necessity. Consumers in the Central African Republic told researchers that informal sellers allowed them to “buy one or two tablets for about 100 CFA francs” – roughly 20 cents – rather than “buy the medicines in a box of 12 [at a pharmacy]”.

The result is a marketplace where legitimate, falsified and substandard medicines can be difficult to distinguish.

From 2013 to 2025, WHO’s surveillance system recorded incidents involving 228 medical products in the Central African economic bloc. Of those, 71 per cent were classified as falsified and 11 per cent as substandard. Perhaps more troubling, a third of the incidents were detected in regulated supply chains, suggesting that buying medicine from an authorised outlet does not eliminate the risk.

In April 2025, the WHO reported falsified batches of amoxicillin in Cameroon and the Central African Republic that did not contain the active ingredient listed on their labels. In September 2026, Cameroonian authorities seized thousands of cartons in Yaoundé containing, among other things, counterfeit medicines, packaging materials used to repackage drugs and psychotropic substances.

From ports to armed groups

The trafficking routes largely follow the arteries of legitimate regional commerce. The ports of Apapa in Nigeria and Douala in Cameroon, along with river ports in Brazzaville and Bangui, were identified as major entry points. Authorities also seized 7.3 tonnes of medical products at airports across the region from 2020 through 2025.

The criminal networks behind the trade are equally varied. They include clandestine manufacturers, wholesalers, informal vendors, couriers, health care workers, corrupt public officials and online sellers.

Armed groups have also found ways to profit, according to the report, by looting health facilities, reselling medicines or collecting “taxes” from convoys crossing territory under their control.

Dire consequences for patients

For patients, the consequences can be dire. Medicines containing the wrong ingredients or incorrect doses can cause poisoning, treatment failure and death. They can also contribute to antimicrobial resistance, allowing bacteria and other pathogens to evolve in ways that make existing medicines less effective.​

In 2023, 12 children in Cameroon died after taking a pediatric syrup containing contaminated ingredients, according to UNODC.

Yet, the same weaknesses that expose patients to illicit medicines also complicate efforts to stamp out the trade.

“No State can tackle this transnational challenge alone,” said Ms. Bertrand, the agency’s regional representative. 

The report calls for countries to harmonise their laws, strengthen controls and improve cross-border cooperation. But, it also argues for expanding access to safe and affordable medicines, for the illicit market is responding to a demand the formal health system has failed to meet.

Cutting off illegal supplies without addressing the shortages, high prices and distances that drive patients toward them risks leaving the market for illicit medicines largely intact.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.