Barka High School in the Central Region presented awards to 61 outstanding students in recognition of their exceptional performance in the 2023/2024 national school-leaving examinations. The awardees are members of the 36th round of the national service.

Mr. Semere Gebreleul, the school’s director, stated that the award recipients include 30 students who achieved a GPA of 4.0 and 31 who achieved GPAs ranging from 3.6 to 3.8. He stressed that the school has a moral obligation to acknowledge the achievements of its top students.

Mr. Yohannes Solomon, head of secondary schools in the region, encouraged the students to maintain their hard work as they pursue higher education, highlighting that a bright future is built on today’s efforts. He urged them to remain competitive and strive for success in their future endeavors.

Mr. Girmay Andu, head of the education office in northeastern Asmara, attributed the students’ success to the strong collaboration between students, parents, and teachers. He called on the awardees to look forward to their bright future and work diligently to achieve their goals.

The awardees, expressing gratitude for the recognition and encouragement, pledged to continue working hard and remain competitive in their higher education pursuits.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

Today, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with Prime Minister, Dr. Moustafa Madbouly. The meeting was also attended by Minister of Local Development, Dr. Manal Awad; Governor of South Sinai, Major General Dr. Khaled Mubarak; Adviser to the President for Urban Planning, Major General Amir Sayed Ahmed, and Head of the Armed Forces Engineering Authority, Major General Ahmed Al-Azazy.

Spokesman for the Presidency, Ambassador Ahmed Fahmy, said the meeting reviewed the various aspects of the comprehensive development strategy for South Sinai, which is based on implementing a number of projects and investments in an array of sectors, including development, urban planning, tourism, and culture. The strategy aligns with the state’s plans to leverage each governorate’s unique characteristics and competitive advantages.

The meeting discussed progress in the implementation of priority projects in South Sinai, particularly in Sharm El Sheikh, and efforts to enhance all vital sectors in the city to bolster its global tourism standing. The meeting also touched on development projects in Taba, Nuweibaa, Abu Redis, and Al-Tur, along with updates on “The Great Transfiguration” project in Saint Catherine. This project seeks to transform the area into a global tourist destination. President El-Sisi was keen on overseeing every aspect of the project, culminating in an opening that would befittingly showcase its historical and cultural significance.

The President gave directives to continue and to intensify efforts toward enhancing the developmental and tourism performance in South Sinai, leveraging its unique features, through the exploration and implementation of new mechanisms to spur investments across all cities in the governorate. This includes in particular supporting and empowering youth and their startups and giving this matter a priority. Additionally, President El-Sisi emphasized the necessity to include in the development process of the governorate the enhancement and development of vital sectors that affect the lives of citizens, in a way that positively reflects on the level of services provided to them in various fields.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Presidency of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) on 20 September 2024 approved a $129.71 million loan to Tanzania for the implementation of a youth-focused agribusiness program.

The loan will fund the first phase of the “Building a Better Tomorrow: Youth Initiatives for Agribusiness” program, which aims to create business opportunities and jobs for young people in key agricultural sectors.

The total cost of the project is estimated at $241.27 million. In addition to the Bank’s loan, which covers 53,76 percent of the cost, the funding package includes grants of $1.15 million from the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC) Trust Fund and $210,000 from tropical vegetable seed firm East-West Seed. The Tanzanian government will provide $110.41 million, representing 45.76 percent of the total.

Patricia Laverley, the Bank’s Country Manager for Tanzania, said: “This project is expected to incubate and empower approximately 11,000 ‘agripreneurs,’ including at least 6,000 young agribusiness owners.” She added that the program will facilitate access to finance for an additional 2,500 young people already involved in agribusiness but lacking access to commercial loans. We expect each agribusiness run by a young person will employ an average of five workers.”

The project will implement strategies to raise awareness and manage knowledge using youth-oriented information and communication technologies. It will also provide training and support for agrifood business incubation and acceleration, with a particular focus on the recruitment of female applicants.

Digital technologies, including satellite technology and artificial intelligence, will be utilized to improve agricultural productivity and decision-making processes for young farmer cooperatives.

As of 30 June 2024, the African Development Bank approved 25 projects in Tanzania, with a total commitment of $3.48 billion.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Media contact:
Alexis Adélé
Communication and External Relations Department
media@afdb.org

À propos du Groupe de la Banque africaine de développement:
Groupe de la Banque africaine de développement est la principale institution du financement du développement en Afrique. Il comprend trois entités distinctes : la Banque africaine de développement (BAD), le Fonds africain de développement (FAD) et le Fonds spécial du Nigeria (FSN). Représentée dans 41 pays africains, avec un bureau extérieur au Japon, la Banque contribue au développement économique et au progrès social de ses 54 Etats membres régionaux. Pour plus d’informations: www.AfDB.org

Somalia has made significant macroeconomic strides in recent years, but these gains have yet to translate into poverty reduction, with over half of the population still living below the national poverty line, says a new World Bank report, titled “Somalia Poverty and Equity Assessment”.

“Notably, Somalia achieved the historic Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative completion point in December 2023, reducing external debt to just 6 percent of GDP,” said Qimiao Fan, World Bank Country Director for Somalia. “Looking ahead, Somalia needs to sustain its macroeconomic progress, promote stability, and implement inclusive policies that create jobs and benefit the poor.”

The report highlights that Somalia continues to experience high poverty rates. While signs of recovery have emerged, growth has not been sufficient to raise GDP per capita, and poverty has remained constant between 2017 and 2022.

It cites several factors that have contributed to the ongoing challenge of poverty reduction, including limited economic opportunities, scarcity of better-paying jobs, and frequent climatic shocks, which particularly affect poor households. In addition, some groups continue to experience alarmingly high poverty rates, especially among the nomadic population (78 percent) and internally displaced persons.

“Climatic shocks like droughts disproportionately impact poorer regions and households, increasing poverty in rural and nomadic communities. These households lack the economic means to manage and recover from such events,” said Kristina Svensson, World Bank Country Manager for Somalia. “The World Bank remains committed to supporting Somalia in building resilience to these shocks and helping vulnerable communities adapt, ensuring a more sustainable and inclusive path toward poverty reduction.”

The report further points out that the nomadic population not only suffers from the highest rates of monetary and non-monetary poverty but also faces significant inequality. Herd size, commercialization, and geographic location contribute to disparities among nomadic households. Nomadic households with larger herds and better access to markets have been able to achieve higher levels of consumption.

“Sustained economic growth and stability are priorities for Somalia to facilitate a conducive environment for poverty reduction,” said Aphichoke Kotikula, World Bank Senior Poverty Economist for Somalia. “The country will need to accelerate job creation and enhance the resilience of rural and nomadic communities.”

Given Somalia’s limited fiscal space, the report recommends harnessing urbanization to improve service delivery, particularly in education, as the concentration of the poor in urban areas can make services more accessible and affordable. The report also calls for strengthening the resilience of rural and nomadic livelihoods to climate change and enhancing resource management to ensure sustainable income generation for these vulnerable populations.

The Somalia Poverty and Equity Assessment Report, which builds on the Somalia Integrated Household Budget Survey, offers an in-depth analysis of poverty trends, economic vulnerabilities, and social inequalities in Somalia.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.