COMING UP!>>Ep.75 | Season 4, Ep.10 | Demystifying Africa’s Integration through ECOWAS and African Union dynamics – or a case of unpacking the Brussels-based PERIA programme & the Nairobi-based State of The [African] Union

 Episode #75

(Season 4; Ep.10):  

State of the Union (SOTU) & ECDPM's PERIA programme

Demystifying Africa’s Integration through ECOWAS and African Union dynamics –

or a case of unpacking the Brussels-based PERIA programme & the Nairobi-based

 State of The [African] Union

Season 4 is STILL on the theme of “making money for Africa”.

We commenced the Season unpacking the nitty-gritty of the Creative Economy, and concluded that Film, more than any other cog in the Creative Economy wheel, was probably the most dominant within that Economy.

In episode 2, we appreciated how, if managed properly, Sports could become the biggest employer in Ghana, the sub region, and the Continent.

In episode 3, we started to treat the all-important topic of customer service, concluding that, Ghana can achieve an “insanely customer-centric culture” as seen in the West, but it takes exposure and training of frontline staff to do that.

In episode 4, we concluded that East Africa continues to rise, while episode 5 helped demystify Africa’s agriculture under the AU’s flagship programme of CAADP, concluding that issues around Agribusiness and nutrition will dominate discussions around Agriculture after the 12^th CAADP Partnership Platform meeting that was held in Accra mid-April.

In episode 6, we piggy-backed on the *UNCTAD E-Commerce week* that took place from 18-22 April in Geneva, concluding the show on Cyber-crime with the shocking conclusion that Ghana’s Cyber-awareness is at a shockingly low threshold.

Episode 7 saw us in a conversation with the West Africa Civil Society Institute for updates on latest activities, and publications, concluding that it was necessary to have a conversation about African philanthropy.

Episode 8 shone the spotlight on AfriTourism for the fourth time, concluding that the “Think Ghana, Think Cocoa” venture, which was unveiled at a Marketing competition at the University of Ghana Business School in April, needs immense support as it has put cocoa very significantly into conversations around tourism.

Last week’s episode sought to unpack Model ECOWAS Summit that will take place on ECOWAS Day – 28 May, 2016.

Now for the 18^th May edition of Africa in Focus, in the spirit of Regional Integration month, traditionally scheduled for May since 2013, we have yet-another special edition celebrating Africa’s integration at both ECOWAS and African Union levels.

At a time that Togo will be celebrating African Integration Week from 21-25 May under the auspices of its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we believe it is even more important to consolidate the spirit of conversations around Africa’s integration by speaking to different experts who can help us better-understand why Africa’s integration remains very relevant to the continent’s development.

It is auspicious to further be having this conversation at the cusp of the 25^th anniversary of the Abuja Treaty establishing the African Economic Community, or the de facto blueprint of Africa’s integration in six steps – three regional, three continental.

                                                                      

June is an important month for Africa’s integration: not only is it the quarter-century celebration of the Abuja Treaty or the month in which at Africa in Focus, we discussed African integration back in 2014 – by speaking to the UNECA’s Dr.Joseph Attah-Mensah; Ashesi University’s Dr.Lloyd Amoah; and WACSI’s Charles Van Dyck, -- but the month in which the Tripartite Free Trade Area was launched in Egypt in 2015.

On 14 April, Africa in Focus was invited to a lunchtime seminar of the launch of the Brussels-based Economic Centre for Development, Policy & Management (ECDPM)’s PERIA programme (Political Economy of Regional Integration in Africa). On Friday 13 May, PERIA was launched at the AU Commission, but as yet-another novel programme, how much does it complement ECDPM’s work on regional integration? To this end, we will be speaking to Dr. Bruce Byiers, Senior Policy Officer at ECDPM, -- LIVE FROM TOGO – to help us understand and better-unpack the PERIA programme and its value-add to conversations around regional integration.

Our second conversation will be with Osai Ojigho – Coordinator of Kenya-based CSO – who is no stranger to Africa in Focus Show or its sister programme – the XYZ Africa News Bulletin@8.

Her special area of interest is that of the African Union, and Member States commitment and compliance to its protocols.

This is compelling and cutting-edge content on African integration, & ECOWAS made easier.

How can you afford to miss it a week away from the continent’s celebration of AU day on 25 May?

Join us if you can at 2.05pm on 18 May, 2016.

Call us on the following number

+233(302)777.173

Guiding questions

Ø  What is the rationale behind PERIA?

Ø  What is the added-value to the conversation on Africa’s integration?

Ø  What about AU Member States’ and their compliance, or lack thereof, towards Protocols?

Guests on the line:

Ø Osai Ojigho, Co-ordinator, State of the Union, Kenya LIVE FROM NAIROBI

Ø Dr.Bruce Byiers, Senior Policy Officer, ECDPM Brussels Office, Belgium LIVE FROM Lome, TOGO

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*more details will be available soon on www.africainfocusradioshow.org ; africainfocusshow.blogspot.com.

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*Tweet Emmanuel ahead of time on www.twitter.com/ekbensah, using #africainfocus .

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Call Radio XYZ93.1FM on +233(302)777.173