Buhari returns after lengthy UK medical treatment

President to address nation following more than three months of absence spent in London for ailment.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to the country on Saturday after more than three months in the UK for medical treatment for an undisclosed “health challenge”.

The 74-year-old left for London on May 7.

His prolonged absence caused tensions back home where calls have grown for him to either return or resign.

“President Buhari is expected to speak to Nigerians in a broadcast by 7am on Monday,” his office said.

In recent weeks, the office has been releasing photos of officials meeting with the rail-thin but smiling president in the hope of reassuring people back home.

His main opponents in the 2015 election that brought him to power claimed he had prostate cancer. He has denied that claim. Buhari’s four-year term ends in 2019.

Challenges facing Nigeria

Nigeria’s ongoing challenges include deadly Boko Haram attacks, a weak economy and one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with millions malnourished in the northeast.

With Buhari away, Nigeria has been led by acting president and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who met the president in London in mid-July and announced that Buhari would return to Nigeria “very shortly”.

Observers fear that political unrest could erupt in Nigeria, particularly in the predominantly Muslim north, should Buhari not finish his term in office. The previous president was a Christian from the south, as is Osinbajo. The health of Nigeria’s Musa Yar’Adua after months of treatment abroad leaders has been a sensitive issue since the 2010 death in office of President Umaru Ardua.

Source: Al Jazeera, 19th August 2017

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Dusira UG starts cooperation with the company Elementaro

The cooperation took place to to strengthen the market position and to provide African partners with essential goods especially tools for craftsmen.

The company Elementaro is a well known provider for craftsmen tools and craftsmen clothing.

The CEO of Dusira UG Michael Patotschka  tells that this will be the next important step to give assistance in establishing independent companies in Africa and to empower SME’s and startups.

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Global Sustainable Finance Conference 2017

A two-day Global Sustainable Finance Conference will be held from 13th to 14th of July 2017 in Karlsruhe, Germany. This event will bring together senior executives of financial institutions, policy makers and regulators, development banking community, commercial bankers, senior government officials, representatives of multilateral institutions and other major stakeholders.

The conference delegates will discuss key issue including: Disruptive innovation in the financial industry; strategies and practices for holistically embedding sustainability in organizational culture, lending and investing and decision making; latest developments in financial inclusion and SME Finance; and large-scale project financing for sustainable development.

This global gathering of committed stakeholders offers a distinctive opportunity to deliberate on cutting-edge financial services for advancing sustainable infrastructure projects including clean energy, smart manufacturing industry and financing innovations for creating an inclusive, green and sustainable economy.

In addition to presenting a big picture view of the 21st century financial services and offering actionable insights to the participating delegates, the upcoming conference aims to build global partnerships for sustainable banking and finance. This multi-stakeholder conference provides an excellent opportunity to network with the senior leadership of financial industry, multilateral agencies, government institutions and other stakeholders from around the world. An optional excursion/ get-together will take place on Saturday the 15th of July 2017.

Further details are available on the conference website: http://eosd.org/en/gsfc_fi.html.

The brochure can be downloaded by clicking this link: gsfc2017

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Prospects for Africa are very promising

First, increased investment in Africa’s infrastructure is critically needed. The substantial an rapidly increasing amount of capital being allocated to this sector provides a great growth opportunity.

Second, there are compelling opportunities across the continent for consumer goods and services,  particularly given limited growth opportunities in much of the developed world. This opportunity for investment in consumer growth across Africa is underprimed by three trends: a growing population, rapid urbanisation and an emerging middle class.

However, it’s important not to discount commodities, which will remain the most obvious opportunity. Africa holds a large proportion of the world’s mineral reserves, and the continent’s significant reserves of oil and gas make it well poised to play a key role in the supply of the world’s energy needs, particularly as other emerging economies grow and the demand for precious metals follow suit.

Free movement of people and goods will also be a major driver of growth in Africa in the coming years.

Source: African Businees, May 2017

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Investments in Africa