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Nigeria Seeks $5.2 Billion From World Bank for Electricity
Africa’s most populous nation produces about 4,000 megawatts of power compared with a average peak generation of about 35,000 megawatts in South Africa, with a population that’s less than a third of the size of Nigeria’s 180 million people. The lack of supply increases production costs for many businesses forced to provide their own electricity, mostly using diesel-run generators.
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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A quarter of African children to be privately educated by 2021
Innovative private sector teaching models, such as that employed by controversial for-profit school chain Bridge International Academies, enjoy high-profile backing, including from some of the world's most esteemed donors and aid organisations like philanthropist Bill Gates, the World Bank and the UK’s Department for International Development.
But not everyone agrees. NGOs, teaching unions and a United Nations expert are among those that have decried the increasing reliance on such low-cost private schools,- Categories
- Education
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Savings groups boost financial inclusion and women’s empowerment among rural poor, three-country study finds
“What we’re seeing is that that the poor can and do save for themselves when given the right opportunity, and this has positive effects elsewhere in their lives,” says Dean Karlan, professor of economics at Yale and co-author of the study. “We see savings and business income increase, but importantly there is also a boost in women’s empowerment. As women get more access to these groups, their say in household decisions also increases.”
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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6 Surprising Reasons Why South Africans Are Not Big On Banks
BCG recently undertook extensive research into the process of financial inclusion in South Africa. This primary research which is based on surveys, interviews and a fresh analytical approach, yielded several interesting themes about the country’s use and perceptions of formal banking channels. Bringing more people into the financial system has the ability to enhance GDP growth, reduce poverty and create new market opportunities for the private sector.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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The app making healthcare accessible in South Africa
AitaHealth trains community health workers who offer counseling and home treatment, focusing on preventive care.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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African governments set to stare down a healthy PATH
While several African countries have invested in a growing pipeline of high-impact, cost-effective innovations for healthcare, the innovations were largely reliant on foreign investments, according to Craig Friderichs, a country director of international health NGO PATH.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Healthcare innovation will cure a lot of Africa’s economic woes
Additional investments in science, technology, and innovation in Africa will improve health, spur economic growth, and reduce poverty across the continent. This was the common denominator at a meeting of African and global leaders representing governments, the private sector, and civil society to discuss health innovation and research capacity on the continent.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Shelf Life: Water for Africa with new Chivas venture
Social entrepreneur, James Steere, has created I-Drop Water, a for-profit social enterprise that designs, builds and installs drinking-water purification and dispensing machines in grocery stores at no cost, sharing income generated from water sales with store owners.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa