U.S.$2 Million Mosquito Net Factory Opens In Uganda

Kampala — Trade minister Amelia Kyambadde has commissioned a $2.3m (Shs7.82b) mosquito net factory with an annual production capacity of three million insecticide-treated mosquito nets.   Located in Luzira Industrial Park, M/s Sino Africa Medical Devices Company Limited in partnership with the Tianjin Yorkool International Co Limited manufactures polyester insecticidal treated mosquito nets for local consumption.   Ms Amelia Kyambadde said the kind of development.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 12th April 2016

South Africa: First Hydrogen Fuel Cell Forklift Unveiled

South Africa's hydrogen fuel cell industry received a boost on 31 March with the unveiling of a prototype hydrogen fuel cell forklift and refuelling station at Impala Refining Services in Springs, east of Joburg.   Over the past three years, Impala Platinum Holdings (Implats) has provided HySA Systems with funds of R6-million to enable the prototype development. Implats plans to use hydrogen fuel cell technology as its main source of energy for material handling and underground.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 12th April 2016

Comesa Trains Food Distributors in East African Region

Ugandan small and medium-sized companies in the food value chain have received a boost from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) through the training of 80 firms.   The trained food distributors are expected to start providing products that meet international sanitary and phytosanitary standards. Ugandan companies will now be able to sell their food to supermarkets, hotels, as well as regional and international markets.   Comesa Business Council CEO.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 11th April 2016

Cement Firms Eye Construction Boom in East Africa

Mombasa Cement Ltd plans to invest Ksh7.3 billion ($73 million) to expand the factory's production capacity.   The company is eyeing the market created by construction boom in East Africa and other countries in the larger region.   The investment in a new clinker and cement unit is expected to ease pressure on prices, which dropped to $7 per 50 kilogramme bag from $8 in 2014.   The firm now has a unit each for clinker and cement and boasts of an annual output of.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 11th April 2016

Rwanda: American Firm Installs Solar Power At the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre

Centennial Generating Company, a Washington DC-based company that provides power systems for commercial and industrial customers has installed a solar power system at the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre which will bring down power costs by 20 per cent.   The memorial centre which heavily depends on financial handouts is grappling with high costs of power with management claiming they at times spend Rwf400,000 monthly on fuelling the generators.   The challenge Rwanda.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 11th April 2016

Tanzanian Solar Firm Wins Prestigious Energy Prize

 Arusha — An Arush based solar company Off Grid Electric (OGE) has won the prestigious Zayed Future Energy Prize for its work in bringing electricity to power-starved areas of Tanzania.   The achievement has made Tanzania second African country to win global award.   The United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) ambassador to Tanzania Abdullah Ibrahim Ghanem Sultan Al-Suwaidi honoured OGE at a recent event for winning the prize in the Small- to Medium-Sized Enterprise.... Read more »

Posted on : Saturday , 9th April 2016

Nigerian Govt, U.S. Firm Sign MOU for 500MW Power Plant

Asaba — Delta State Government on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an American company, Alpha Energy and Electric Inc., for the generation of 500 megawatts (MW) of electricity through public- private partnership.   The MoU was signed on behalf of the state government by the Secretary to State Government (SSG), Mr. Festus Ovie Agas, witnessed by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and some members of the state executive council.   Okowa said at the.... Read more »

Posted on : Saturday , 9th April 2016

Nigeria: Micro Reforms for African Agribusiness To Benefit From U.S.$700,000 AGRA Grant

Smallholder farmers in Nigeria are already benefiting from $700,000 grants from the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) in a move seen as helping them to leverage on getting the right inputs like quality, certified and improved seeds as well as fertilizers.   Last week, the Micro Reforms for African Agribusiness in Nigeria (MIRA) met with stakeholders under the aegis of the Nigeria Agribusiness Group in Lagos on how to implement the partnership agreement with AGRA.... Read more »

Posted on : Saturday , 9th April 2016

Nigeria: Govt to Start Work On 31 Major Roads Soon

Lagos — Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says the Federal Government will soon commence work on 31 major roads across the country in its drive to develop infrastructure and grow the economy.   The vice president stressed the need for collaboration among states of the federation in order to stimulate the economy, just as he attributed the country's economic woes to over-dependence on oil.   Osinbajo who spoke at the Economic Summit organised by Vintage Press, publishers.... Read more »

Posted on : Saturday , 9th April 2016

Tanzania: Centre for Industrialisation Awaits President's Approval

Dar es Salaam — The formation of a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Centre is awaiting President John Magufuli's approval.   The facility is expected to increase the pace of attracting investments for rapid industrialisation.   A draft on the formation of the institution has been submitted to the President's Office (Public Service Management).   The assistant director of investments in the Prime Minister's Office, Mr James Mboya, last week told a workshop on.... Read more »

Posted on : Saturday , 9th April 2016

Cote d'Ivoire: Dangote Constructs U.S.$200 Million Cement Plant

Lagos — Dangote Cement Plc is deepening its pan African expansion drive with the commencement of construction of a new 3-million metric ton per annum capacity cement grinding plant in Cote d'Ivoire.   The new project is coming just as the company announced the ground breaking of a new 6-million metric ton per annum Greenfield cement plant in Okpella, Edo state and commencement of work on a 6-million mtpa capacity plant in Itori, Ogun State.   Dangote Group.... Read more »

Posted on : Saturday , 9th April 2016

General Motors East Africa to Double Truck Output Based On Construction Boom

 NAIROBI (Reuters) - A construction boom in Kenya has fuelled a rise in commercial truck sales for market leader General Motors, which is investing $7.9 million in 2016 to upgrade its assembly plant in Nairobi and more than double output, a senior executive said on Thursday.   GM East Africa Managing Director Rita Kavashe said 20,000 new vehicles were sold in Kenya last year, the highest on record, and 98 percent of those were trucks and buses.   This reflected both.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 8th April 2016