Infrastructure

  • SWAC: 
    Body: 
    Despite the huge progress, Africa remains the least-connected continent. Africa’s broadband household penetration accounted for 15.4% in 2015, far behind the worldwide average of 52.3% (Asia and the Pacific - 46.4%; the Americas - 64.4%; and Europe - 84%). When it comes to individual Internet usage, Nigeria was the best-performing West African country in 2015, with almost one out of two Nigerians connected. Read on
  • Country: 
    Opinion: 
    Body: 
    In this op-ed, Muhammadu Buhari, the President of Nigeria, responds to concerns about Africa's capacity grow economically, by presenting the project he is currently implementing in his country. He said it is time for African countries to lay the foundation for a development that transforms people’s lives and frees them from their dependence on raw materials. The country faces a threatening recession, so its path towards inclusive growth is still long. However, Nigeria’s challenges are not the most important factor, but it is the fact that Nigeria now knows its weaknesses and knows the direction it should it take to make the country’s emergence a reality. Read on
  • Members: 
    RPCA: 
    SWAC: 
    Body: 
    As the main component of the ECOWAS Food Storage Strategy, the Regional Food Security Reserve constitutes a third line of response to crises, after local/community-level and national food reserves. Adopted in February 2013 at the ECOWAS Heads of State Conference in Yamoussoukro, the reserve is an important instrument of regional solidarity. Read on
  • Country: 
    Opinion: 
    Body: 
    What is it like to live in Lagos? The Guardian invites us on a journey to discover the evolution of West Africa’s biggest megacity. Almost 20 years ago, the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas teamed up with Nigerian counterpart Kunlé Adeyemi to rethink Lagos. Within the context of dictatorship, their project was never published. Two decades later, they talk about the past, present and future of this amazing city. Read on
  • Body: 
    Leaders from Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire met at the 5th Conference of the Treaty of Friendship and Co-operation in Yamoussokro on 29 July. It is the first official visit of President Christian Kaboré to Côte d’Ivoire. The relationship of the two countries was put under strain, in particular over questions related to the international arrest warrant for ousted Burkinabe President Blaise Campaoré and President Ouattara’s decision to grant him Ivoirian nationality, ending the prospect of his extradition to Burkina Faso. Read on
  • Body: 
    From 7 to 8 June, ECOWAS and the World Bank organised a workshop in Accra as part of the Improved and Facilitated Trade in West Africa project. Representatives of UEMOA and the European Union also took part in the discussions. The workshop revolved around several issues related to the easing of trade in the maid trade corridors in the region, especially those that connect landlocked countries (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger) to coastal countries (Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana). Read on
  • Opinion: 
    Body: 
    In an article posted on the new OECD blog on development, "Development Matters", UN-Habitat Executive Director Joan Clos explains why the challenges of the 21st century require a new concept of urbanisation in Africa. If African cities do not facilitate intra-city movement and do not improve their connections with rural areas, their urbanisation will not support the economic opportunities urbanisation has created elsewhere. Read on
  • Opinion: 
    Body: 
    In an interview with the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), NEPAD CEO Ibrahim Mayaki analyses the dynamics of industrialisation in Africa and explains the challenges facing West Africa in this area. Industrialisation in the sub-region lags significantly behind the two major industrial regions that make up North Africa on the one hand and Southern and East Africa on the other. Read on
  • SWAC: 
    Body: 
    As part of its programme “Le Grand Débat”, the Pan-African radio channel, Africa N°1, dedicated a special issue to the future of African cities. Senior Economist Philipp Heinrigs of the Sahel and West Africa Club Secretariat (SWAC/OECD) presented key findings from the most recent update of the Africapolis study, which provides a comprehensive and comparable dataset on urbanisation in West Africa. Read on
  • SWAC: 
    Body: 
    Nearly 30% of the West African population does not have access to an improved drinking water source. While disparities between rural and urban areas are decreasing, significant gaps remain. Among the Sahelian countries, only Burkina Faso and Mali have achieved Target C of MDG 7 relating to access to safe drinking water; no Sahelian country has achieved the goal relating to access to basic sanitation services. Read on

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