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Hosted by E.K.Bensah Jr, a Research & Communications Specialist, the show seeks to disrupt the African Rising narrative by demystifying;unpacking; and explaining ECOWAS;African Union; South-South Cooperation policies around Africa's integration.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
PODCAST>> "AFRICA IN FOCUS: "African Problems? African Solutions!" (24 June, 2014)
Monday, June 23, 2014
FEATURE: "EAST AFRICA RISING- ‘What can West Africa learn from Rwanda, Kenya and Ethiopia?"
EAST AFRICA RISING- ‘What can West Africa learn from Rwanda, Kenya and Ethiopia?’
by Elizabeth Owusu-Kissi, AIF News Reporter
The Oxford dictionary defines as
bureaucracy as ‘The system of official rules and ways of doing things that a
government or organization has, especially when these seem to be too
complicated’.
Bureaucracy remains one of the
many challenges facing the African continent when we talk of trade in Africa. How
can we learn from each other? What have other countries done that we can learn
from? These and many more questions were asked by the Host, Mr. Emmanuel K Bensah
on the Africa in Focus show on 17 June.
On the topic “East Africa Rising”,
the “Africa in Focus” show was graced with the presence of His Excellency
Joseph Habineza, Rwanda High Commissioner to Abuja- Nigeria and also Mr. Uwem
Thompson of ECOWAS, ERERA (Regional Energy Regulatory Authority).
Among many questions answered,
Ambassador Joseph Habineza shared some of the progressive developments in
Rwanda that can be adopted by most West African states, such as Ghana. He highlighted
some key factors of the Rwanda economy, saying that Rwanda has been able to
reduce bureaucracy and minimize corruption.
Touching on gender, it is quite
clear that the Ambassador believe in women empowerment, saying Rwanda has about
64% female House of Representative, hence the more reason to the importance of
Girl-child education in Africa.
He added that the barrier to
trade in Africa is lack of adequate free movement, lamenting on the reality
that we (Africans) neglect the presence of our fellow Africans in our countries
and rather welcome the foreign Americans by appreciating them in our trade
market compare to our fellow brother from Africa.
Energy in Africa is salient, yet
our maintenance culture towards hydro is poor. Ambassador Habineza pointed that
most hydros in Africa were built in the sixties and pre-independence era and we
forget maintenance. He said there is the need for modern facilities in our
sector of Energy and the use of solar system.
Mr. Uwem Thompson in the
discussion also buttressed the point on gender, saying although there is an
ECOWAS gender policy, few are aware of it, hence the need to educate people on
this policy for development. He said when it comes to regulation for the market
in West Africa, not all African states are at par. He said although ERERA does
not interfere in each member states’ policy, they are there to ensure harmony
for the market through established physical infrastructure.
At the level of ERERA, they are
hoping to set up a system or infrastructure for the consumer of the market. They
will first be educated on the basics on their rights and duties as consumers. Mr.
Thompson added that ECOWAS ERERA operates at the level of regional policy, and
the need for domestication of responsibility of each member state to deliver.
Both Ambassador Habineza and Mr.
Thompson lamented that Africans talk a lot with little results. We can be self-sufficient
when we harmonize and work to overcome the bureaucracy that exists in some African
countries.
ENDS
AFRICA IN FOCUS>>Coming up on 24 June, 2014: "African Problems? African Solutions?"
African problems?
African solutions!
The 24 June edition of AIF runs at
variance to the other editions in the sense that we are doing this show under
one assumption: that the challenges bedeviling Africa are not going to go away
any time soon. And so, because of this, we are compelled to look at some of the
solutions that already exist.
Whether it is in the challenge of
combating drug trafficking in the sub-region; controlling our external borders;
or the private sector examining concrete solutions to facilitate trade in the
sub-region, the bottom line is that we have answers and solutions under our
noses.
Same can be said about our
agriculture, and how many young people can be more active and proactive in that
sector. We couple this with the fact that the AU is celebrating a year-long
anniversary for Agriculture (a major talking point at the AU Summit underway in
Maputo, Equatorial Guinea). We are happy to also announce that we will be
having updates of the summit live from an AU Commission official at the Summit
there.
Each of my guests in the show all
serve as components to addressing some of Africa’s problems:
Guests are:
Ø Stella Attakpah,
Programmes Manager at GIABA – the Dakar-based Ecowas agency concerned with
combating money-laundering and financing of terrorism; (from Bamako)
Ø Temitope Olodo –
counter-terrorism and law enforcement expert based in the UK, and host of “Africa
Security” programme in the UK; (from the UK)
Ø Afua Eshun – of Accra-based BORDERLESS
Alliance, concerned with facilitating free movement in West Africa; (studio)
Ø Edison Gbenga Ade -- of
AgriPro Consulting, based in Osu, which works on agribusiness industry in
Africa; (studio)
Ø Komla Bissi, agricultural Economist–
and CAADP adviser working at the African Union Commission, who will be speaking
to us live from the AU Summit underway in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. (from
Maputo, Equatorial Guinea)
Tune in at 13h10 GMT (1:00pm Ghana
Time). We’re also streaming live www.radioxyzonline.com.
Contact us Facebook on:
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93.1FM. Tweet us @africainfocus14 and @ekbensah. Listen to us on
#MultiTVChannel29. Thanks!
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Wednesday, June 18, 2014
PODCAST>> "AFRICA IN FOCUS: "East Africa Rising!" (17 June, 2014)
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Monday, June 16, 2014
AFRICA IN FOCUS>>Coming up on 17 June, 2014: What can the West learn from the East?
Forget “Africa Rising”! Is it a case of East Africa Rising?
West Africa has become synonymous to efforts on maintaining peace and security. Meanwhile, East Africa, while populated by only 5 member countries, already has a track-record of successful integration efforts which collapsed back in 1977 when ECOWAS was only two years old.
So it is not as if East Africa has not done it before. The region has the erstwhile institutions available which West Africa can learn from. Coupled with the fact that individual countries, such as Kenya, Rwanda, and non-EAC member Ethiopia are all doing very well in their own right, one begins to question whether there are no best practices West Africa can learn from the East.
Much of the time, there is talk that Africa can learn from the East. We play ball closer to home by asking what can Africa, especially the sub-region of the West, learn from African countries that are East of the continent!
Guests include:
Ø Anthony Annan, a Ghanaian entrepreneur living in Rwanda
Ø Eyob Tekalign Tolina, an Ethiopian who has worked with the UNECA, and well-versed on Trade Policy
Ø Uwem Thompson, Communications Officer of Ecowas Regional Energy Regulatory Authority (ERERA)
Ø Christine Njeru, a Kenyan Lawyer and Consultant living in Nairobi
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Wednesday, June 11, 2014
PODCAST -- Africa in Focus: "State of Civil Society in West Africa post-2015 Agenda" (10 June, 2014)
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Monday, June 9, 2014
“Africa in Focus” Show on Radio XYZ93.1 FM returns with a discussion on Africa’s integration
“Africa in Focus” Show on Radio XYZ93.1 FM returns with a
discussion on Africa’s integration
By
E.K.Bensah Jr
After almost two weeks of
being off air, the one-month old “Africa in Focus” show is back with a bang on
Radio xyz93.1 fm.
In the last edition on 3 June,
2014, Emmanuel hosted two people in the studio. These were Ashesi University’s
Dr. Lloyd Amoah, and Capacity Building Development Officer of the West Africa
Civil Society Institute(WACSI) Charles Van Dyck.
On the line in Addis were
Dr.Joseph Atta-Mensah of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, and Mkhululi
Ncube, former UNECA official-turned-entrepreneur in his own country of
Zimbabwe.
The show sought to
interrogate the question of whether Africa is integrating. The general
consensus at the end of the show clearly showed there is a lot of work to be
done on sensitizing Africans to the urgency of building Africa’s integration
process.
As explained by the UNECA’s Dr.Joseph Atta-Mensah, there
are a number of milestones that have been chalked along the road to Africa’s
integration. These include the Sirte Declaration on 1999 that sought to
fast-track integration. He concedes there remains much to be done – even if
leaders are slowly and surely recognizing the necessity of integration.
Mkhu Ncube related to the
audience how the East African Business Council works very efficiently – as does
the one for the COMESA sub-region (populated by 19 member countries). He
confessed that though he is a national of the SADC region, he cannot vouch for
the efficiency of a Business Council in that part of the world. Without a
doubt, though, he believes the private sector is going to have to take charge
on Africa’s integration, because governments are never going to automatically
give that space.
We learnt from Dr.Amoah,
who has recently penned a book on Africa’s telecommunications, that there are
only three member countries – Ghana; Nigeria; and Rwanda – that have so-called
TelChams, or Telecommunications Chambers. By virtue of Ghana’s small market
being populated by six telcos, this country was always going to be an important
test-case on TelChams. Nigeria’s is the largest, though not necessarily the
most efficient. With regard to Rwanda, we find this to be an interesting case
in the sense that that country is seeking to position itself as the
cyber-gateway to East Africa. This is certainly something many African
countries can learn from—as well as leveraging on the immense potential that
telcos offer to help create synergy in Africa’s integration. All that said, it
is pitiful to have only three member countries out of a whopping fifty-four be
the only ones to have TelChams.
WACSI’s Charles VanDyck stressed the fact that African integration is a “bread-and-butter” issue, and that African peoples are already integrating. It is time governments began to domesticate the many protocols they are quick to sign, and ensure that Africans feel well-integrated. Even if West Africa has made commendable effort on free movement, clearly, much still needs to be done.
ENDs
HOW FAR IS AFRICA INTEGRATING?
By Elizabeth Owusu-Kissi, AIF News
Reporter
African integration was one of the more interesting topics
discussed Tuesday 3 June, on the Africa in Focus show on Radio XYZ. Host
Emmanuel.K.Bensah Jr had the opportunity of interviewing Dr. Lloyd Amoah of
Ashesi University; Charles Vandyck of WACSI; Mkhu Ncube, former UNECA official
in Zimbabwe over the phone; and Dr. Joseph Atta-Mensah of the UN Economic
Commission for Africa(UNECA) over the line in Addis.
As excitement hit the roof, Dr.Lloyd Amoah in his submission talked
about the perception of African minds when it comes to matters of Africa’s
integration. He said “somewhere, somehow, the ordinary people are not aware of
the policies their government leaders signed, talk less of understanding what
it actually means’ adding that to them.” He continued “it’s a piece of paper
signed somewhere for their benefit but not effective in their domestic lives.”
Charles Vandyck of WACSI also buttressed the point made by Dr.
Amoah explaining that Ghana, for example, signed these protocols but did not
ensure its practicality in the social lives of its people. He said, “for
citizens to understand what it means, then it must reflect in their social
lives”. Citing examples, he said it’s unfortunate a product from Ghana will
cost less to transport to the U.K but very expensive when transporting to a
nearby African country because of high taxation.
Mr. Vandyck shared his experience on the show, explaining how he
had to pay more to refill for roaming in a nearby African country, adding that
the cost was much higher compared to others.
ENDs
Coming up on 10 June, 2014 edition of "Africa in Focus": "The State of Civil Society in West Africa post-2015"
As 2015 approaches with increasing celerity, it is time for civil society to prepare itself for the post-2015 agenda. This debate is important in the light of the fact that 2015 is the year when an important examination of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will be had. What this means is that a serious analysis on how far and how deeply civil society has acted around the fight for the MDGs will be open for discussion and reflection in the development sector community.
As Ghana has been identified as a middle-income country, aid flows to the country will diminish significantly with a number of major donors that will begin to set deadlines for the end of their aid frameworks. In this light, civil society will need to answer the question as to where CSOs, as a vital part of society, will continue to find funding in the future.
Guests include:
- Executive Director of WACSI Nana -- Asantewa Afadzinu
- OSIWA Programme Manager in Charge of Law, Justice and Human Rights -- Afia Asantewaa Asare-Kyei
-- STAR Ghana’s Mary Tobbinosei
Tune in at 13h10 GMT (1:00pm Ghana Time). We’re also streaming live www.radioxyzonline.com. Contact us Facebook on:
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Monday, June 2, 2014
Coming up on 3 June, 2014 edition of "Africa in Focus": "How far is Africa integrating?"
Emmanuel
K Bensah Jr will be live on air on Africa in Focus Show - Radio XYZ
93.1FM Tuesday at 13h00 GMT exploring how far Africa has integrated.
Earlier in May, Ghana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Regional
Integration declared the month of May "Regional Integration month". The
real question "Africa in Focus" show is asking Tuesday 3 June 2014
from 1:00pm to 3:00pm is,
‘How far is Africa integrating along the lines of intra-African trade; energy; telecommunications; and business ventures?
We shall be finding out whether Africa truly is integrating when there is now a closer relationship between Africa and China?
Guests include:
- An official of the UN Economic Commission for Africa(UNECA) from Addis Ababa (Joseph Attah-Mensah)
- Counter-terrorism Expert (Temitope Olodo)
- An academic from Ashesi University here in Accra (Dr.Lloyd Amoah)
- A former UNECA official who now works in his home country of Zimbabwe encouraging business for his countrymen. (Mkhululi Ncube)
- An official from the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI) (Charles Kojo VanDyck)
Tune in at 13h00 GMT (1:00pm Ghana Time). We’re also streaming live www.radioxyzonline.com. Contact us Facebook on:
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THE MEDIA HAS A MAJOR ROLE TO PLAY ON PEACE & SECURITY- WACSI director
By Elizabeth Owusu-Kissi, AIF News Reporter
The Executive Director of the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), Mrs. Nana Asantewa Afadzinu in her response to a question asked by the host of the “Africa In Focus” Show, Emmanuel K Bensah Jr, said, the media – as part of the civil society – has a major role to play in setting the agenda on the issue of ‘Peace and Security’ in Africa in relation to the subject ‘Responsibility to Protect’.
The interview session, which was held at Eastgate Hotel – a platinum sponsor of the Africa In Focus show --, solicited the facts and realities on ground on issues affecting Africa.
Mrs. Afadzinu said, the primary responsibility to protect the citizens of a country lies with the State. However, the media, including other parts of civil society groups, play salient roles in communicating and creating awareness on ordinary people’s right of protection. She added that it is important the media exerts pressure on the government to protect their rights and the public.
Addressing the issue of Boko Haram, Nana said Boko Haram is a threat not only to Nigeria but also to Africa as a whole because the term ‘Boko Haram’ can not only be found in Nigeria alone but its roots can be traced in most communities in Africa; hence the need to fight the canker as a general problem facing Africa and not Nigeria alone.
She explains ‘ it’s a regional problem and must be dealt with at all levels including the communities’. She added we must involve the community and address the economic, social and political issues emulating into this canker we face as Boko Haram.
Pressed on what to do to prevent people’s right from being violated, she explained “We need more than NGOs to help; we need political bodies, religious bodies along with the media in the civil society to help set the agenda to protect.”
ENDs
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