Category: MIL-OSI

Source: APO – Report:

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From 12th to 14th of November 2025, the Energy and Mines Directorate organised a regional workshop in Accra, Ghana, to validate the preliminary feasibility study for the Regional Programme for the Electrification of 20,000 Villages in West Africa (PRODEL20000). This three-day workshop brought together experts from the ministries responsible for energy, national electricity companies and national electrification agencies of ECOWAS member states, as well as representatives from ECREEE and the consulting firm BNETD.

Participants examined all the elements necessary for the success of PRODEL20000: technical design and sizing, socio-economic impacts, investment needs, general guidelines and mechanisms for managing social and environmental impacts. An in-depth and constructive analysis was carried out for each component of the report, accompanied by the identification of gaps and practical recommendations to strengthen the study’s conclusions.

Opening the workshop, Dr Ismael Ackah, Technical Adviser to Ghana’s Minister of Energy and Green Transition, described PRODEL20000 as a flagship initiative that confirms the collective commitment to accelerating universal access to electricity in West Africa. He added that the project is a model of regional collaboration and emphasised that Ghana is particularly proud of the ECOWAS rural electrification component, which will help reduce inequalities between urban and rural areas.

Mr Arkadius Koumoin, Acting Head of the Conventional Energy Division, recalled that despite the region’s vast energy potential, millions of citizens, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas, still do not have access to reliable and affordable electricity. PRODEL20000 is designed as a major priority for the Commission in order to respond to the urgent need to electrify a large number of localities, either through grid extension or solar systems.

This initiative embodies ECOWAS’ shared vision for universal access to sustainable energy, also aiming to stimulate local entrepreneurship, improve health and education services, and create employment opportunities, particularly for women and young people. He concluded by stating that the completion of the feasibility study will enable ECOWAS to begin mobilising funding for the implementation of the project.

– on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Source: APO – Report:

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The Speaker of the Senate of the Republic of Kenya, Rt. Hon. Amason Jeffah Kingi, has called for bold, African-led strategies to tackle the continent’s health challenges. Speaking as Chief Guest at the Inaugural Africa Health Summit in Kampala, held under the theme “Reclaiming Africa’s Health Future: From Dependency to Sovereignty through Innovation and Solidarity”, Hon. Kingi emphasized that Africa must move beyond diagnosing problems to delivering solutions at scale.

“We must not only diagnose the challenges, but also prescribe the solutions, and most importantly, implement them,” he said, urging African scientists to innovate on African soil. He further emphasised the need for sustainable domestic health financing, highlighting opportunities through capital markets, sovereign funds, and public-private partnerships.

Delivering a keynote address, Dr. Abdourahmane Diallo, WHO Director of Programme Management, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to building sovereign and sustainable health systems across Africa. His message was clear:

“Africa’s health systems must be designed, led, and owned by Africa. If we can transform a hospital, we can transform a continent. If we can save one life, we can inspire millions.”

Dr. Diallo called on leaders to create enduring systems, thriving communities, and lasting solutions.

Uganda’s Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, underscored the importance of strengthening health systems to ensure accessibility, equity, and quality, both for primary healthcare and specialized services. She emphasized community engagement as a cornerstone for informed health decisions and advocated for widespread dissemination of health information.

The summit brought together high-level delegates, including Uganda’s Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, and Minister of Science and Technology, Hon. Monica Musenero, alongside representatives from Somalia, Sudan, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Kenya, policymakers, researchers, health professionals, private sector actors, civil society, and development partners. It served as a continental platform for strategic dialogue, showcasing African-led innovations and generating actionable commitments to advance health sovereignty, resilience, and equity.

The event concluded with the Heroes in Health Award, Uganda’s flagship recognition platform, established in 2019 to celebrate individuals, institutions, innovations, services, products, and programs that make outstanding contributions to healthcare delivery and outcomes in Uganda.

– on behalf of World Health Organization – Uganda.

Source: APO – Report:

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H.E. Zelma NOBRE FASSINOU, ECOWAS Resident Representative in Senegal, presided on 13 November 2025 in Saint-Louis over the enrolment ceremony and the signing of agreements between the Senegalese Agency for Universal Health Coverage (SEN-CSU), Public Health Establishments (EPS), the Health District, and the Local Council for Artisanal Fisheries (CLPA). This ceremony marks an important milestone in the implementation of Universal Health Coverage in the Saint-Louis region.

On this occasion, political and administrative authorities welcomed the initiative, which demonstrates ECOWAS’ concrete commitment to the implementation of the Accra Declaration adopted in 2022 by Member States on Universal Health Coverage. The Declaration reaffirms their collective determination to guarantee every citizen of the Community access to essential, quality healthcare without financial barriers. According to the Governor, the Prefect and the Mayor, who made a point of being present at the ceremony, this Declaration is not merely a political commitment: it is a moral, social, and human obligation, recalling that health is both a fundamental right and a key factor in stability, productivity, and social cohesion.

The support provided by the ECOWAS Permanent Representation to communication and to national efforts aimed at strengthening health governance, digitalization of information systems, financial protection, and community mobilization for SEN-CSU in the Saint-Louis region is fully aligned with Vision 2050, which places citizen well-being and human capital development at the heart of its social and educational framework. This support has enabled the agency to progressively integrate informal-sector workers into a sustainable health-insurance mechanism, strengthen territorial cohesion, and promote strong local partnerships among institutions, professional communities, and health facilities.

Through this initiative, ECOWAS demonstrates its commitment by translating decisions into tangible results on the ground, where real change occurs for families, workers, and communities.

– on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Source: APO – Report:

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From 17 to 19 November 2025, AU-IBAR, AU-PANVAC, GALVmed, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, and their partners are convening a consultative meeting in Nairobi to advance the harmonisation of veterinary product regulation across Africa. The meeting has gathered national regulatory authorities, Chief Veterinary Officers, regional bodies, manufacturers, and technical organisations to address long-standing challenges in accessing quality veterinary medicines and vaccines. 

In her opening address, Dr. Huyam Salih, Director of AU-IBAR, underscored the role of livestock in food security, livelihoods, and resilience. She noted that Africa continues to lose over USD 4 billion annually due to preventable animal diseases, with weak access to quality veterinary products being a major contributor. Key constraints include fragmented regulatory regimes, slow approval processes, limited enforcement, the presence of counterfeit medicines, and inadequate cold-chain infrastructure. 

She called for accelerated reforms to strengthen the availability, affordability, and oversight of veterinary products, highlighting ongoing AU-IBAR initiatives, including support for veterinary legislation, surveillance, vaccine production capacity, and the harmonisation of PPR vaccine registration.

A central focus of the meeting has been the presentation and review of the draft Terms of Reference for the Pan-African Regulatory Authorities Network on Veterinary Products, jointly developed by AU-IBAR and AU-PANVAC. 

The Network aims to:

• Harmonise regulatory standards
• Improve information sharing via interoperable systems
• Build national and regional regulatory capacity
• Support emergency authorisation mechanisms
• Foster transparency between regulators, industry, and stakeholders

According to the proposed TORs, the Network will operate through a Steering Committee, a Secretariat hosted at AU-IBAR, and a continent-wide membership of national regulatory authorities. 

The meeting will include breakout sessions to discuss pathways for faster registration timelines, more vigorous enforcement against counterfeit products, regulatory alignment with One Health and AMR priorities, and improved public-private collaboration.

By the close of the meeting, stakeholders hope to reach agreements on:

• Priority elements of the PARAN-VPs TORs
• The governance structure and implementation roadmap
• A joint communiqué outlining next steps

Upcoming actions include political endorsement through AU structures, resource mobilisation, and establishment of the Secretariat, paving the way for full operationalisation of the Network.

The Nairobi consultative meeting goes beyond regulatory harmonisation to address a wide range of priorities reflected in the agenda, such as governance, technical capacity, One Health integration, AMR mitigation, public–private collaboration, and improved communication and transparency within regulatory systems. Stakeholders will examine issues such as slow registration timelines, counterfeit products, vaccine manufacturing standards, regional mutual recognition processes, and mechanisms for stronger coordination among AU institutions, RECs, national authorities, and industry.

By reviewing the draft TORs, refining the implementation roadmap, and agreeing on next steps, delegates will demonstrate a strong collective commitment to strengthening Africa’s veterinary governance landscape. This initiative supports the implementation of the existing MoU, particularly between AU-IBAR and GAVNET, to improve veterinary services and promote preventative animal health measures in the livestock sector. Through this effort, AU-IBAR also reaffirms its dedication to working with AU-PANVAC, regulatory authorities, and partners to advance these agenda items by ensuring that veterinary product regulation becomes more efficient, collaborative, and responsive to the continent’s animal health challenges.

More Information: https://betterregulationconference.org/

– on behalf of The African Union – Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR).

Source: APO – Report:

The Scottish Africa Business Association (SABA) (www.AfricaScot.com/) is pleased to announce Ebury as a sponsor for Scotland London Africa Week 2025. Ebury will support the Scotland Africa Networking Reception at Dover House, hosted with kind permission by the Secretary of State for Scotland, the Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP, as well as Commonwealth Briefings with selected African Heads of Mission, that will take place during the week. Their contribution strengthens the programme and reflects shared commitment to developing meaningful trade and commercial relationships between Scotland and African markets.

Scotland London Africa Week has quickly become one of the foremost platforms connecting business leaders, investors and institutions with opportunities across the African continent. Last year’s event welcomed senior representatives from government and industry, delivered focused market insight sessions and helped build new commercial partnerships that are already delivering value. The momentum has only grown and with nearly 20 Scottish companies already confirmed and over 150 Africa focussed attendees for this year’s programme, interest continues to accelerate.

International trade remains a crucial driver of economic growth. For Scotland and African partners alike, increased collaboration supports jobs, innovation and long-term resilience. As global dynamics shift and supply chains diversify there is a clear need for agile partnerships and reliable financial infrastructure to support cross-border expansion. SABA has seen a rising appetite from Scottish organisations across sectors including energy, maritime & ports, agriculture, education & skills training and aquaculture to deepen their engagement with African markets. African economies meanwhile continue to scale rapidly and present significant opportunities for high quality investment and partnership.

Ebury’s involvement reflects the organisation’s strategic interest in supporting global business flows. As a global financial services provider specialising in international transactions, FX and trade finance Ebury brings world-class capability that will benefit companies exploring and expanding into African markets. Diageo’s continued support strengthens the growing collaboration between major international organisations and the Scotland Africa business community.

Frazer Lang, Chief Executive of the Scottish Africa Business Association, said:

“Scotland London Africa Week is now a vital platform for dialogue and action. We are delighted to welcome Ebury as a sponsor. Their expertise and global reach align perfectly with our mission to unlock trade and investment with the African continent. The success of last year’s event demonstrated the appetite for deeper collaboration and we look forward to building on it with an even stronger programme this year.”

Phil Monkhouse, UK Country Manager at Ebury, said:

“Africa continues to be one of the most dynamic regions for trade and investment and Scottish organisations have much to offer. By partnering with SABA for Scotland London Africa Week we are supporting businesses that want to connect with high growth markets and move with confidence on the international stage. We look forward to contributing insight and practical support to help companies make the most of these opportunities.”

SABA continues to position Scotland as a trusted partner for African nations and a serious contributor to trade and development across priority sectors. Ebury’s partnership reinforces the importance of effective financial solutions in underpinning successful cross-border growth.

– on behalf of Scottish Africa Business Association (SABA).

About the Scottish Africa Business Association (SABA):
SABA is the preeminent non-political, Africa focussed, members trade organisation with an unrivalled board of experienced directors which promotes trade, investment and knowledge sharing between Scotland’s world class expertise and Africa’s priority sectors including energy, agriculture, the blue economy, healthcare, skills training and education by leveraging extensive commercial, trade, political and government contacts across Scotland and Africa.

As part of this, our team organises private meetings, round tables, seminars, conferences, global trade missions and offers market research, intelligence sharing and consultancy services.