UNCTAD forecasts a 7% to 9% year-on-year drop in the value of global trade for 2020, despite signs of a rebound in the third quarter. In its quarterly Global Trade Update, the UN trade and development body estimates world trade to be about 5% less in Q3 2020 than during...
Ghana and Ivory Coast account for two-thirds of the world's cocoa supply, but unlike oil-producing countries, they are unable to influence prices that are historically too low to meet the basic needs of small planters. "They could decide the market prices - above all if they allied themselves with other...
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Global Compact (UN Global Compact) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) have established the COVID-19 Private Sector Global Facility, a global initiative and collaboration bringing together public and private sector partners to help local communities recover better from the...
The Creative Arts industry has consistently demonstrated resilience to many crises over decades all over the world; be it coup d'états, political unrest, economic crisis, health pandemics, lack of legislation and regulatory regimes etc. This resilience is largely due to the upsurge of global demand and export of culture and...
Not one to let disruptive circumstances slow him down, former president of Nigeria and Eminent Fellow of the African Youth and Governance Convergence (AYGC), Olusegun Obasanjo, graced what has been termed as the Biggest Convergence of Africa’s Youth with words of wisdom. As the Keynote Speaker for this year’s AYGC...
Mali could become a ‘failed state’, unless ECOWAS leaders take strategic and pragmatic decisions to end the incessant military and jihadist interventions in the troubled Sahelian country’s management. Almost five years since a Tuareg rebellion and coup d'état, Mali has been struggling to return to a normal state. The recent...
Since our president is currently chairing the regional body ECOWAS, it is appropriate to revisit the lingering tension between Ghanaian traders and their Nigerian counterparts. In today’s edition of the B&FT, a concise feature that dissects the problem and offers irrefutable answers to the nagging problem is published. We entreat...
In recent weeks, tens of thousands of people paraded the streets of Bamako in Mali to demand the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. The protesters were believed to have been mobilised by Mr. Mahmoud Dicko, an influential Muslim leader, under the auspices of the June 5 Movement – Rally...
President Akufo-Addo has been elected as the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS). The election was held at the 57th ECOWAS Summit at the Mahatma Gandhi International Conference Centre in the capital of Niger, Niamey. President Akufo-Addo takes over from President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger. Prior to the election of...
Nigeria will reopen its airports for international flights from Aug. 29, its aviation minister said on Monday. The airports have been closed since March 23 to all but essential international flights as part of the country's efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika said four flights will begin...