African Spotlight Spotlighting Africans at Home and Abroad

Nigeria’s Minister of finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Friday shed light on the issue of having common currency for West African countries. Speaking at the 31st meeting of the convergence Council of Finance Ministers and governors of Central bank of West Africa nations in Abuja, the Minister told the participants that they should realise how difficult it will be to ...

(AFP) – The IMF and World Bank on Saturday raised the alarm on the “humanitarian emergency” in West Africa’s Sahel region, where millions risk starvation amid regional insecurity, drought and poor harvests. “We are troubled by the acute humanitarian emergency in the Sahel region where hunger threatens the lives of 19 million people and the stability of the region,” said ...

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is to introduce a single currency in the sub-region by 2020, while it will become effective in English speaking countries in 2015. This was disclosed by the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, at a dinner organized for members of the Administration, Finance and Budget Committee of the organisation after ...

(AFP) – Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara was named the new head of West Africa’s regional bloc, outgoing chief Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria announced Friday before the close of the body’s summit. “For the chairman of the authority we have also unanimously agreed that the President of Cote d’Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara,” would take over, Jonathan said at a meeting of ...

WELCOME ADDRESS By President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Chairman, ECOWAS AUTHORITY AT THE 40TH ORDINARY SESSION OF THE AUTHORITY OF HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT OF ECOWAS ABUJA, 16TH – 17TH FEBRUARY 2012 Your Excellencies Fellow Heads of State and Government Honourable Ministers Chairperson of the African Union H.E. Mr Jean Ping ...