Trade & economy
With €53.8 billion (0.43% of its GDP), the European Union’s official development aid (ODA) reached a record level in 2010, up by €4.5 billion on 2009. “The EU remains incontestably the world’s leading donor,” declared Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs, while admitting that it has failed to honour its pledge to jointly allocate 0.56% of its gross domestic product to ODA in 2010, rising to 0.7% in 2015. In...
Faced with the increased incidence of wars in certain ACP Group regions, often reducing their development efforts to zero, conflict prevention was recognized as a priority in the cooperation agreements signed in Cotonou in 2000 between the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and their principal partner, the European Union. These provisions assumed particular importance with the entry into force of the European External Action Service on 1...
The South Pacific island nation of Samoa is to jump forward in time by one day in order to boost its economy by bringing it closer in line with Australia and New Zealand. Currently, the island is 21 hours behind Sydney. From 29 December it will be three hours ahead.
This is not the first time that the island has changed time zone – almost 120 years ago it swopped to facilitate trade with Europe and the United States. But since then,...
Interview with David Matongo, Co-chair of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly After 24 years as chairman, or managing director, David Matongo continued to work in business whilst launching a political career in his native Zambia.
Matongo is currently Chairman and Director of David and Dash Holdings Limited and is director or member of the boards of many local and international bodies. He holds degrees in business management from...
Buses bound for Pedro Celso’s RD tuna canning factory in Madang are marked, ‘Tuna Country’. It’s a sign of the importance of the industry in the north coast of the Pacific island of Papua New Guinea (PNG). The Filipino-born Managing Director of RD Canneries set up his business from scratch in 1995. It now employs a staff of 3,500, mainly women. He is also Chairman of the PNG’s Tuna Industry Association, Vice Chair...
Nigeria and the European Union have a permanent political dialogue at ministerial level. “This dialogue,” explains Michaela Wright, Desk Officer for Nigeria at the European External Action Service (EEAS), “centres on the same priorities as our relations with the African Union; peace and security, good governance and human rights, trade and regional integration along with a focus on energy environment and other key factors...
The fundamental aim of European aid to Nigeria, comparatively small in relation to the country’s needs, is to assist it in bringing about improvements to governance at both federal and regional levels. This will enable the nation to make the most of its resources to fight poverty.
EU and Nigeria cooperation was slowed by a payment freeze resulting from the lack of credibility of the 2007 presidential elections, the European Parliament...
David Macrae, a British national, was appointed Ambassador of the European Union’s delegation to Nigeria in May 2010. An economist and specialist in agricultural science, after working at the European Commission Brussels headquarters on cooperation with ACP countries, he acted as Permanent Representative of the EU with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). In his earlier career, Ambassador Macrae...
Interview with Dr Martin Uhomoibhi
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The recent holding of free and fair presidential elections, Nigeria’s role in conflict resolution in Africa, its global peace-keeping activities under a United Nations mandate and an average 7 per cent economic growth are all positives. The country is expected to achieve its development goals and become a member of the club of emerging countries. Nigeria...
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has moved up a gear in the past two years when it comes to financing small and medium-sized enterprises in the ACP countries. This is in line with the pressing demands of the ACP Group, which on 15 July held a workshop on “Enhancing access to finance for SMEs”; seen as the backbone of ACP economies.
According to the December 2010 figures, the EIB set aside a total of €180 million for...
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