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Nigeria, From Pure Growth to Harnessed Opportunity: A new report on the 3D role of business in the unfolding transformation
It is easy to pretend that there are two separate Nigerias: one a thrusting consumer powerhouse, and one socially divided and pocked by violence and poverty. For business, which relies on the success of the former, acknowledging the latter can be difficult, but they are two sides of the same coin. This week we are in Abuja to launch a new report by Business Action for Africa and the Initiative for Global Development: “The New Africa – Nigeria: From Growth to Opportunity”.
- Categories
- Education, Social Enterprise
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A Small Drop in a Large Bucket: The World Economic Forum’s Abigail Noble, on why impact investing needs to go mainstream
In 2012, less than $40 billion of capital had been committed to impact investments - out of tens of trillions in global capital. The World Economic Forum’s Mainstreaming Impact Investing initiative wants to help change that. In part 1 of our Impact Investing Insights series, we spoke with the initiative’s leader, Abigail Noble, about how to bring “$40 billion” a bit closer to “tens of trillions.”
- Categories
- Environment, Impact Assessment, Investing
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Inconvenient Truths: How a microscope lens for phones might improve health and hygiene in developing countries
College student Thomas Larson invented stick-on microscope lenses for mobile phones that might have some interesting applications in global development, such as assessing just what is in the water.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Health Care, Technology
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The 10 (Mostly Still-to-be Invented) Jobs That Can Power Africa’s Future: From ‘nutrient banker’ to ‘rat trainer’ – these jobs might help employ the next generation
Where will Africa’s next generation of jobs come from? One source will be social entrepreneurs who are creating new opportunities as they transform their chosen fields. Ashoka’s Simon Stumpf presents his list of future jobs (some still uninvented) that could employ young people in Africa over the course of the next decade.
- Categories
- Education
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Problems and Potential in Tanzania’s Mobile Money Ecosystem: Highlights from Helix’s Agent Network Accelerator survey
Tanzania has crafted an impressively successful ecosystem for mobile money, with a unique agent network system that can be used as a model for the rest of the world. But this network is also struggling with fraud, liquidity management issues and other challenges. The recent country report from the Helix Institute of Digital Finance provides insights into what’s working, and what isn’t.
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- Uncategorized
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NexThought Monday – A Brazil Without Favelas is Possible
In spite of the R$ 134 billion allocated by Brazil´s government to Minha Casa, Minha Vida, there is very little conclusive data that enables us to examine the real social impact of the housing projects under its umbrella. Although it might appear to be unrealistic, Brazil desperately needs an ambitious vision to confront its housing disparity crisis.
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- Uncategorized
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Weekly Roundup – 5/3/14: An Arab Spring for global health?
Amartya Sen once said that famines don’t occur in democracies. His statement still largely holds true. Unfortunately, democracy is under siege in many parts of the world.
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- Education, Health Care, Impact Assessment, Technology
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Good Ideas, Multiplied: How NGO, research collaboration is boosting social entrepreneurship
Social entrepreneurs are celebrated for bringing new ideas to the table. But is a great idea enough to have the intended impact? While entrepreneurship celebrates the new, what role should existing research networks and NGOs, who bring deep sector expertise and trusting relationships with target communities, play in supporting social entrepreneurship?
- Categories
- Education, Impact Assessment, Social Enterprise
