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1. www.indoafricatimes.com
MONDAY | DECEMBER 15, 2014 Title Code: DELENG18579 • RNI NO: DELENG/2014/54666 • Postal Registration No.: DN/325/2014-2016 • VOL. 1 • NO. 49 • Page 12 • Price `10
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pg 04
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pg 03
C O N N E C T S
SEYCHELLES&
MUMBAI
Continued to page 03
E
tihad backed-Air Seychelles has launched thrice weekly direct flight
between Seychelles and Mumbai. The Seychelles Tourism Board in
connotation with Air Seychelles along with a delegation of private
sector partners from the islands piloted a road show in Mumbai, India,
one day after the launch of the much-awaited direct flight between the
two countries.
The opening flight which landed in Mumbai a little bit after 3 o’clock
in the morning on December 3 was greeted by the symbolic water cannon
which was then followed by a small cake-cutting ceremony at the airport.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles Tourism Board, Ms.
Sherin Naiken, was among the significant luminaries who escorted Mr.
Manoj Papa, the Chief Executive Officer of Air Seychelles, for this inaugural
launch. The high-level delegation was also accompanied by Mr. Freddy
Kakaria, Chairman of the Hospitality and Tourism Association, members
of the travel trade, as well as members of the Indian business community.
The airline said it will link India with Tanzania, South Africa and
Madagascar with its one stop flights via Seychelles and also plans a code
share with Jet Airways to grow traffic.
Its Chief Executive Officer Mr. Manoj Papa said the airline is
concentrating on all business sections - leisure travel, trade and labour
traffic to Indian Ocean region.
"We plan to grow our regional and long haul network with code shares
and partnerships enabling Seychelles to become an aviation hub in Indian
Ocean,'' Papa added. The airline has a single Airbus A320 and two Airbus
A330s and has no instant ideas to expand fleet.
The Air Seychelles direct flight will not only join the commercial and
financial capital of India, but its conglomerate with Etihad Airways and
upcoming code share arrangements with Jet Airways will also link other
key Indian cities to Seychelles via Mumbai. India is one of the fastest-
growing outbound tourism markets internationally with more than 15
million Indians traveling overseas every year.
As the Seychelles Tourism Board is now eyeing at new source
markets, India has the latent to expressively contribute to the snowballing
numbers of tourist arrivals into Seychelles. The Seychelles Tourist Board
DRC: Future
Food Basket
of Africa
EXHILARATING
EGYPT
Aligning op-
portunities
to success
KS unite
Kaberuka
receives Lifetime
Achievement
Award from
Forbes Africa
France's Total
inaugurates
major oil
project off
Angola

2. Wassupafrica02
Nigeria's opposition set to pick
presidential candidate
Miners urged to modernize sector
T
housands of delegates from
across Nigeria converge
on Lagos, as the main
opposition party chooses its
candidate to run for president in
next year's elections.
Unlike the ruling People’s
Democratic Party (PDP), which
has endorsed President Goodluck
Jonathan as its only candidate, the
All Progressives Congress (APC)
has to choose from among five
hopefuls.
But primary looks set to
be a two-horse race, although
opinions are split as to who is the
favourite.
"It is going to be a straight
battle between Muhammadu
Buhari and Atiku Abubakar,"
Olusegun Adeniyi, who was
former president Umaru Musa
Yar'Adua's spokesman, told AFP.
At stake for the winner of the
February 14 vote is the chance
to wrest the presidency from
the PDP for the first time since
Nigeria returned to civilian rule
in 1999.
Boko Haram's insurgency
is raging in the northeast; the
economy is reeling from falling
global oil prices; while corruption,
impunity and poor governance
are seen as worse than ever.
"People want to see a
candidate who represents some
significant shift," said Clement
Nwankwo, director of the Policy
and Legal Advisory Centre, a civil
society group.
In theory, the APC a coalition
of four opposition parties buoyed
by a wave of defections from
the PDP has never been in a
better position to challenge for
government.
It has focused its campaign
on the Jonathan administration's
stewardship of the economy,
insecurity and its perceived
failure to tackle corruption.
Its argument is that the
country needs change but it
still faces an uphill battle to
overcome the financial clout and
organisation of the PDP.
Buhari, who lost to Jonathan
four years ago and to Yar'Adua
in 2007, and Atiku, a four-time
candidate for the presidential
nomination, are among Nigeria's
most well-known politicians.
The 71-year-old Buhari, who
was military ruler from 1983-85,
has a reputation for a no-nonsense
approach to corruption, even
though human rights groups
condemned his methods during
his time in power.
The former general would be
expected to take a tougher line
against Boko Haram and may be
favoured because he is backed by
the APC's political godfather Bola
Tinubu.
Abubakar, 68, is seen as the
better political operator.
Buhari had to take out a 27.5
million naira ($150,000, 122,000
euro) bank loan to pay for his own
presidential form.
The wealthy Abubakar,
who was vice president under
Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999
to 2007, has funded his own
campaign -- and those for other
APC governorship candidates in
the south.
That is likely to win him
party votes from those regions.
His eight years of experience in
government and friends across
Local miners in Rwanda have been
urged to embrace modern mining
ways to fully benefit from the
mining sector.
The call was made by Evode
Imena, the State Minister in charge
of minerals at the Ministry of
Natural Resources during activities
to celebrate mining Day in Burera
District.
The day which was organised
by the management of Gifurwe
Wolfram Mining and Processing
Ltd brought together officials from
the mining sector, miners and
several government officials.
Imena said while Gifurwe
mining and processing has made
progress, more efforts are needed
to improve the way minerals are
exploited.
“As you work together, make
sure you always improve the way
the political divide as a former
ruling party member are also
possible assets.
"Atiku has the better political
machine and he's a past master
at winning political primaries,"
said political commentator Chris
Ngwodo.
Abubakar has set himself
apart from other presidential
hopefuls by publishing a detailed
policy document, which includes
100-day and five-year plans for
government.
Abubakar has "decades of
business experience, which
should give him an edge over
Buhari, who has no known
experience in the private
sector," said political and social
commentator Tolu Ogunlesi. But
past accusations of corruption
dating back to Abubakar's time as
head of the customs service may
also count against him if the APC
maintains its strong line on graft.
Buhari's past as a military
ruler, however, is unlikely to
mark him down: most of today's
voters in youthful Nigeria were
either too young or not even born
yet when he was in power.
"The passage of time has
polished his record and created a
myth," Ngwodo said.
In 2011, Buhari won 12
million votes despite the lack of
a well-organised party machine
behind him.
Modern Ghana
Olam launches four global initiatives
to mark 25th anniversary
Olam International, the leading global
agribusiness with cocoa, cashew, rice
and wheat operations across Ghana,
today announced that it is launching
four global initiatives to commemorate
its 25 th anniversary.
Mr. Amit Agrawal, Olam Ghana
Country head, said the initiatives are
designed to address some of the
challenges facing the next generation,
such as food, water and energy
security, the impact of climate change,
sustainable and inclusive growth, and
good governance, particularly in the
emerging markets.
“As we celebrate Olam's 25th
year and its journey from a single-
product, single-country company to
a global agri-business, we reflect on
our vision of transcending boundaries
– the meaning of Olam – and consider
how we will continue to evolve over
the next 25 years”, said Mr. Agrawal.
The four initiatives being
introduced by Olam International to
mark its 25th anniversary are - the
Olam Prize for Innovation in Food
Security, the Olam Scholarship
Programme, the Olam Foundation and
Building Sustainable Futures Forum.
Entries closed on 4 December
2014 and the winner will be
announced in March 2015 at the 3rd
Global Science Conference on Climate
Smart Agriculture. The winner of this
prize will receive US$50,000.
The Olam Scholarship Programme
is aimed at fostering leadership and
governance in the emerging markets
by supporting aspiring and capable
students to pursue higher education
in esteemed international institutions.
Through the scholarships and the
mentoring of awardees, Olam hopes to
play its part in creating a generation of
change catalysts who will contribute
towards economic transformation,
provide good governance, and help
develop these emerging economies.
This programme will award up
to 10 scholarships each year to
postgraduate students wishing to
complete further study in development
economics, business management,
and public policy and administration,
and who are passionate about
working in emerging markets.
The fourth initiative is inspired
by Olam's increasing familiarity with
the key drivers that can improve
rural livelihood after operating at
the farm-gate around the world for
over 25 years. The Olam Foundation
provides a vehicle for Olam to
support these developmental issues
beyond the day-to-day commercial
framework of the company's
business.
With an initial fund of US$3
million the company will focus on
applications for projects in select
developmental sectors in targeted
countries. Olam also intends to
make annual contributions to the
fund to scale the scope of the
Foundation's activities. Olam's
final global initiative, Building
Sustainable Futures Forum, will be
a platform where the rising resource
constraints threatening continued
global development can be debated
and solved in a holistic way. The
Forum, to be held in the second half
of 2015, will bring together leaders
from different industries across the
private sector, NGOs, Governments
and academics to focus on key
developmental issues, including
food security, water security,
energy security, climate change,
sustainable growth and inclusive
growth.
Olam International explains
that the objective for the forum
is to break down silos and find
sustainable solutions to these
interlinked yet complex and
intractable issues. Through starting
the debate, the company hopes to
develop a practical, action-oriented
approach, with inter-disciplinary
collaboration and a focus on private
sector-led programmes, in order to
find solutions to these key global
developmental challenges.
Modern Ghana
you extract minerals through
sharing skills,” he said.
He stressed the need to develop
the mining sector from traditional
to modern systems.
He commended the sector’s
role in improving the welfare of
local residents.
Jean Malic Kalima, the
Managing Director of Wolfram
Mining and Processing Ltd, said
they had developed the sector over
years and were optimistic to keep
improving it.
He said miners are well catered
for and get basic necessities such
as insurance cover.
Kalima said they were
commited to increasing
productivity to counter challenges
presented by current drop in
global mineral prices.
Gifurwe Mining was idle and
unexploited until 2006 when it was
taken over by the company.
Miners who spoke to The New
Times said working in mines has
transformed their lives.
One of the miners Joyeuse
Uwineza, said: “I started after
completing my secondary school.
As a girl, I thought it was difficult
to work in mines but later realised
it was possible, I have managed to
cater for all my basic needs,” she
said.
Cassiterite, coltan, and wolfram
are Rwanda’s principle minerals.
The sector directly employs more
than 33,000 people, mostly rural
dwellers who depend on small-
scale mining for a living.
The value of mineral exports
decreased by 18 per cent to $191.3
million (Rwf132 billion) this year
from $226 million (Rwf156 billion)
in 2013, owing to low prices on the
international market for Rwanda’s
traditional minerals.
The figures exclude the months
of November and December – with
government projecting to reach
$207 million by the end of the year.
Volumes increased, however,
by 14.3 per cent to 8046 tonnes in
2014 from 7000 tonnes exported
in 2013.
New Times
Retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari (R)

MONDAY | DECEMBER 15, 2014

3. Wassupafrica 03
FROM PAGE 01
opened its India office a little more
than a year ago, and since then
the response from the market has
been very heartening.
Speaking on the occasion, Ms.
Sherin Naiken, CEO, Seychelles
Tourism Board, said: “We are
excited about the Indian market,
and the direct flight is just the
first step towards our efforts
to develop the country as a key
source market.
Our local business partners
are already working with us, and
we will be soon taking significant
steps that will take the cooperation
between India and Seychelles
to another level. We thank the
private sector in supporting us in
our efforts to promote Seychelles
in India.”
For those who might recall, Air
Seychelles’ earlier venture to India
about three years ago presented
a stop in the Maldives and the
apprehensions were as to whether
a direct flight will appeal to the
Indian population now as last year
only around 2,000 Indians visited
Seychelles.
Ms. Naiken replied by saying
the STB is making improvement
to tap into the Indian tourism
market and this flight will help
endorse Seychelles as a tourism
destination for Indian travellers.
There were also anxieties
about the long-term pledge of Air
Seychelles to this venture, Ms.
Naiken said now that the STB has
a stable base in Mumbai it will
consequently permit for a better
link between Seychelles and India,
which will in turn benefit Air
Seychelles.
Mr. Papa, on his part, said
Air Seychelles is a much changed
airline now and thus it expects to
make full use of this venture and
hopefully stay in operation in
Mumbai for a long time.
Air Seychelles will fly to
Mumbai on Tuesdays, Fridays
and Saturdays at 8.45pm and it
will leave Mumbai for Seychelles
on Wednesdays, Saturdays and
Sundays.
Recently, Seychelles was
described the Best International
Destination for Relaxation at
the Lonely Planet India Readers
Travel Awards and in Conde Nast
Traveller India as one of the best
emerging destinations.
TheGovernmentandtheAfrican
Development Bank (AfDB),
signed a financial agreement
worth$18million(aboutRwf13
billion).
The financial support, a
concessional loan, will support
the establishment of a Centre
of Excellence in Biomedical
Engineering and e-Health
(CEBE) at the University of
Rwanda (UR). Speaking after
the signing ceremony in Kigali,
the Minister for Finance and
Economic Planning, Amb.
Claver Gatete, said the support
will contribute to the development
of relevant and highly skilled
workforce in biomedical sciences to
help meet East African Community’s
immediate labour market needs.
It will also support the
implementation of EAC’s ‘free’
labour market protocols.
“We need to create centres of
excellence in science and medicine
that will boost skills, equipment,
infrastructure not only in the health
sector but also in socio-economic
development,” Amb. Gatete added.
The CEBE Rwanda will be part
of the EAC network of centres of
excellence and will target students
Rwf13 billion to help in developing
e-Health at University of Rwanda
The President of the African
Development Bank Group, Donald
Kaberuka, received the Forbes
Africa Lifetime Achievement
Award, December 4 during the
magazine’s 4th Annual Person
of the Year Awards ceremony in
Nairobi, Kenya.
In a statement delivered on his
behalf by Gabriel Negatu, Director
of the AfDB’s East Africa Regional
Resource Centre, Kaberuka
expressed his appreciation for the
award, which he dedicated to the
2,000 Bank staff, whom he said, “it
is my privilege to lead. “Anything I
have achieved in my ten year stint
at the helm of this great Bank has
been achieved with their unfailing
support, skill and dedication.”
Kaberuka saluted the leaders
presentattheevening’sawards,and
called on them and others to carry
thetorch:“AsIlookbackonmytime
Kaberuka receives
Lifetime Achievement
Award from Forbes Africa
in the service of Africa at the African
Development Bank. I know we are
winning, but we have not won yet.
“Leadership will take us to the goal,
and I salute the many of you tonight
who are leaders. Your followers
constitute the youngest and most
dynamic population in the world.
Africa has shown that it is a place of
immense opportunity for its young
people.” Nigerian business man
Aliko Dangote received the Forbes
Africa Person of the Year Award for
2014. Kaberuka, Nigerian author
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, South
African advocate Thuli Madonsela
and Arunma Oteh, Director-General
of Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange
Commission, were among the
high-profile nominees. Kaberuka’s
tenure as AfDB President comes to
an end with the election of a new
Bank President in May 2015.
AfDB
from the partner states.
The institute will provide
leadership in training, research and
preventive maintenance services to
cater for regional needs.
One of the key pillars of CEBE is
to strengthen the synergy between
the academia, the government and
the private sector while harnessing
the transformational power of
biomedical engineering and ICT for
cost-effective service provision and
job creation.
The CEBE will seek ways to
ensure development of e-Health
tools and systems within the region.
NegatuMakonnen,AfDBcountry
representative, said the project will
contribute to the development of
relevant and skilled workforce
in biomedical sciences.
“We expect the outcomes
to include improved access
to timely, affordable and
quality specialised biomedical
services in the region, but also
specialised tertiary education
in this sector.”
“What we have signed
today brings the overall AfDB
commitment to $656 million
and is primarily focused on
infrastructure, finance, energy
and transport sectors,” he
added. Prof. James McWha, the
vice-chancellor of the University
of Rwanda, said the project brings
value, noting that as “our health
improves so is the opportunity to
improve the economy.”
AfDB Country Strategy Paper
(CSP) is aligned to Rwanda’s Vision
2020 and the second Economic
DevelopmentandPovertyReduction
Strategy. The current CSP (2012-
2016) focuses on infrastructure
(energy, transport, agriculture,
water and sanitation) and private
sector development.
Infrastructure accounts for 69.3
per cent of the total commitments.
New Times
AfDB Resident Representative Negatu Makonnen
(L) and Finance Minister Claver Gatete shake
hands after signing

Donald Kaberuka, President, African Development Bank

mONDAY | DECEMBER 15, 2014

4. the climate gifts the country with
a diverse range of tropical and
even Mediterranean crops. Out of
such a vast area, more than half of
DRC’s land is arable and is suitable
for farming though only 1-2% of
the nation’s farmable land has
been cultivated so far.
Designated as the backbone
of the country, agriculture
contributes nearly 56% to the
GDP and employs majority of the
population of more than 66%.
The principal cash crops include
coffee, palm oil, rubber, sugar,
tea and cocoa whereas cassava,
plantains, maize, groundnuts, and
rice are the major food crops. High
plains of the east and south are
best known for the production
of coffee beans, potatoes and
leeks. The Eastern Highlands
enjoying cool temperatures and
fertile soil accounts for most of
the cultivation of tomatoes, sweet
potatoes, yam, and pumpkins and
Mediterranean vegetables like
artichokes and asparagus.
Incredible ICT
The sector possesses
tremendous potential and
provides an ocean of opportunities
to investors mentioned below:
 Establishment of internet
centers across the country;
 IntroductionofICTapplications
in universities, colleges as well
as in primary and high schools;
 Involvement of ICT sector in
CountryoftheWeek04
A
country spotted in the heart
of Africa, the Democratic
Republic of Congo
recognized with other different
names like DR Congo, Congo-
Kinshasa or the DRC is parked
in Central Africa. The country is
surrounded by the Central African
Republic and South Sudan to
the north, Uganda, Rwanda and
Burundi in the east, Zambia and
Angola to the south, the Atlantic
Ocean to the west and is divided
from Tanzania by Lake Tanganyika
intheeast.Owingtoitswidespread
area of 2,345,308 km2, the country
is dubbed as the largest country in
Sub-Saharan Africa and eleventh
largest in the world. By virtue of
its equatorial location, the country
encounters high rainstorm and
bears the highest frequency of
thunderstorms in the world.
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
Sparsely populated in
comparison to its area, the country
is a home to exceptional natural
resources and is blessed with a lot
mineral wealth with untouched
depositsofrawmaterialsestimated
to be around $US 24 trillion. At
the time if independence, the
Democratic Republic of Congo was
the most industrialized country
after South Africa and enjoyed a
flourishing mining and agriculture
sector. With an endeavor to
revive its industry, the country is
commencing the establishment of
special economic zones. The first
SEZ focusing on agro-industries
was launched in 2012 in N’Sele,
a commune of Kinshasa. Further,
the Congolese authorities are
planning to introduce another SEZ
dedicated to mining (Katanga) and
third to cement (in the Bas-Congo).
Agriculture- Packed with
Potential
Bearing the potential to feed
the whole of Africa, Democratic
Republic of Congo has mammoth
agricultural capacity. Owing to
its location near the equator and
stretching over two tropical zones,
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the promotion of agriculture
by way of proper planning and
adoptionofinnovativemethods
for sustainable purposes;
 Provision of basic internet
services that includes web
browsing, email, file transfer,
interpersonal communication
etc;
 Introduction and
implementation of
modern applications
viz. videoconferencing,
telemedicine, distance learning
amongst others;
Increasing Infrastructure
The country awarded with
thousands of kilometers of
negotiable waterways and water
transport has traditionally
been the leading means of
commuting in the country. The
government programme about
the five blueprints registers
infrastructures amongst the
priority sectors of DRC. Regarded
as a flourishing sector, it offers
enormous opportunities to
investors in rebuilding the road
network, air transport and
waterways network.
Energy
The country carrying in its
lap plentiful energy resources
proficient of aiding various
forms of energy, involving hydro,
wind, solar, biogas, biofuel etc.
could produce itself sufficient
electricity to meet the needs
of the whole African continent.
With an estimated hydropower
potential of nearly 106,000 MW
or 37% of the entire potential of
Africa, the national electrification
rate is only 6%. One of the major
developments that brought a
drastic change in the energy sector
was the Electricity Code Policy
Project that was passed in 2009.
Mining
Bearing treasures of copper,
cobalt and diamonds, the
Democratic republic of Congo
is ranked amongst one of the
richest mining countries in
Africa. Over the last two years,
the developments taken place in
DRC had brought positivity in the
country.Asminingisbelievedtobe
one of the strongest pillars in the
holding of country’s economy, the
Government’s response has also
been promising especially relating
to the mining industry observing
its utmost importance. Mainly the
mining activities are confined to
the southern and eastern parts,
where the prominent Copper
belt stretches to the DRC from
Zambia near Lubumbashi. The
country’s entire mining activities
are levered and controlled by Geca
mines that too copper and cobalt
mines in particular. Acquiring
gigantic potential, a huge traffic of
foreign companies are attracted
by the Copper belt.
Telecommunication
Since 1968, the Office of
Congolais des Postes et des
Télécommunications (OCPT) is the
public telecommunications and
postal operator and is the national
fixed line operator in the country.
Worth mentioning, the Democratic
Republic of Congo was the first
country in sub-Saharan Africa to
commence cellular services by
assigning the license in 1986 to
Telecel International for an AMPS
network.
With presence of eight
licensed mobile operators in the
country with localized networks
created in larger cities across
the country, Kinshasa possesses
the major share of subscribers.
In the country, internet services
are most accessible in the major
towns of Kinshasa, Lubumbasi,
Matadi, Kikwit and Kananga.
DRIVING FORCES TO
INVEST IN DRC
 Various tax and custom benefits
 Safe and promising business
environment
 Booming economy
 Abundant, skilled and
reasonable labor
Advertiser's Index
Chadha Power .................0Page 02
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The Times of Africa ..........0Page 05
Modern Agro
Engineering Works ..........0Page 05
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas ..0 Page 08
Mill India Ltd. ...................0Page 10
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Agritec Africa ................... Page 12
DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC OF CONGO
AT A GLANCE
Country Official Name: Democratic
Republic of the Congo
Head of State: Joseph KABILA
KABANGE
Capital: Kinshasa
Independence day: 30 June 1960
Religions: Roman Catholic 50%,
Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%,
Muslim 10%, others 10% including
syncretic sects and indigenous
beliefs
Total Land Area: 2,345,410 Km2
(2nd largest in Africa after Algeria)
GDP: 27.57 billion (estimate of
2013)
Inflation rate: 1.07 % (2013)
Growth rate: 8.5 %
Population: 80 million habitants
(estimate 2013)
Languages: Official: French
National: Lingala, Tshiluba, Swahili
and Kikongo
Climate: Tropical climate with 2
seasons raining (9 months) and dry
(3 months) seasons.
Export Items: Diamond, Copper,
gold, cobalt, wood products,
crude oil, coffee, manganese, tin,
tantalum, gold, zinc, timber etc.
Import Items: Food stuffs, mining
machineries, transport equipments,
fuels
Main Economic Sector: Mining and
agriculture
Time Zone: WAT and CAT
(UTC +1 to +2)
Currency: Congolese franc (CDF)
Democratic
Republic of Congo
F u t u r e F o o d B a s k e t o f A f r i c a
MONDAY | DECEMBER 15, 2014

5. BusinessBuzz 05
Fidelity Bank honours 89 staff for Long Service
M-Pawa to the (one million) M-people First Atlantic Bank Goes To North Industrial Area —
Pledges Different Banking Experience To Businesses
Fidelity Bank Ghana Limited has
honored eighty-nine (89) members
of staff who have contributed
immensely to the continuous
growth of the company over the
years.
Managing Director (MD)
of the Bank, Mr. Edward Effah,
commended employees of the bank
for their admirable service over
the years. Some of the employees
marked their 5th and 10th years
respectively.
The MD congratulated all the
award recipients and thanked them
for their individual contributions to
the Bank, with particular mention
of Sharon Oko - Martey (Head,
Customer Care), David Abbey
(Head, Trading, Fixed Income and
FX) Shirley Amengor (Manager,
TreasurySalesMarketing),Regina
Yovonoo (Manager, Transaction
Banking), and Osei Poku (Driver
Dispatch ) “I have seen all these
people grow professionally over
the last 10 years and I congratulate
themfortheircareerachievements”,
he said.
First Atlantic Bank, a leading bank
in Ghana has opened its North
Industrial Area branch to serve
businesses and individuals in the
industrial hub of the country.
According to senior officials of
the bank, the new branch, which is
the fifth to be opened by the bank
this year, formed part of the bank’s
strategy to bring its banking
services closer to customers and
businesses.
The Executive
Director of
First Atlantic
Bank, Mr. Daniel
Addo, pledged a
different banking
experience and a
strong customer
service culture
in the bank’s
new branch to
businesses in the
country.
He told
participants at
the well-attended
l a u n c h i n g
ceremony that
the bank’s overall
objective was
to become the
bank of choice
both locally and
internationally,
Vodacom Tanzania’s mobile money
service M-Pawa has passed the one
million subscriber mark according
to Mobile Money Africa. The service,
launched in May 2014, allows users to
open and operate a bank account via
their mobile phone and save as little
as TZS1 (USD0.00056), with savings
earning daily interest recoverable at the
end of every quarter. Vodacom’s head
of financial services, Jacques Voogt, is
cited as saying: ‘…the financial sector
in Tanzania has been revolutionised
by mobile money services such as
It is a natural part of any
business that staff do leave and
when they do we wish them every
success because we know that we
have given them a high standard
of training, he said. For those that
remain a part of the Fidelity family,
Mr. Effah reiterated the bank's
commitment to ensuring increased
career opportunities as a result of
the acquisition of ProCredit Ghana,
adding that the institution will
continue its growth strategy to
become a competitive global brand
that supports local business and
households to flourish.
“As a growing business we
F
rench oil firm Total
inaugurated a major project
off Angola with a capacity
of 160,000 barrels per day as
the company touted its African
investments in the face of falling
prices. New Chief Executive Patrick
Pouyanne inaugurated the CLOV
project, which draws from four
deep-water fields off Angola in the
Atlantic off southwestern Africa.
CLOV was launched in 2010 at a
cost of $8 billion (6,5 billion euros).
Thursday's inauguration came with
petroleum-producing nations and
the industry struggling with falling
oil prices.
Total has three particular
strengths: ultra-deep water,
liquefied natural gas and Africa,
Pouyanne said at the ceremony,
adding that Total was the largest
producer on the continent.
It is also the largest producer in
Angola.
Despite the volatility of oil
France's Total inaugurates
major oil project off Angola
prices, we are keeping a long-term
vision and we are maintaining the
projects that have been announced,
such as Kaombo in Angola, he said.
The development of the Kaombo
projecthowever,whichthecompany
hopes will produce 230,000 barrels
per day, has seen a budget cut, from
$20 billion to $16 billion.
A third of Total's production as
operator - some 670,000 barrels
per day - occurs in Africa. Pouyanne,
who took over after the recent
death of Christophe de Margerie in
a Moscow plane crash, visited Gabon
as well during his trip and plans to
visit Nigeria in January, where Total
also has investments.
Nigeria remains Africa's largest
oil producer at some 1.88 million
barrelsperdayinOctober,according
to the International Energy Agency.
Angola is the second-largest, with
October production at 1.72 million
barrels per day.
Modern Ghana
continue to develop talent through
our graduate program. Indeed we
will be giving 10 young people the
opportunity to take their place in
our world-class graduate program
before the end of this year.”
Commenting on the future
prospects of the Bank, Mr. Effah
said, “We are poised for greater
things in the coming years with the
acquisition of ProCredit Savings
andLoansCompany,thetechnology
partnership with IBM and our
Financial Inclusion strategy, which
is to deliver low cost deposits to the
Bank”.
Modern Ghana
by establishing strong links with
regional players in the West
African sub-region and Africa at
large.
“And so for those of you who
are doing business in the sub-
region, this is your bank of choice.
We have strong alliances, we
have a strong relationship, we
have robust products that allow
you to make your payments and
collection in Burkina Faso, Nigeria
and Benin, among others,” Mr.
Addo stressed.
The Board Chairperson of
First Atlantic Bank, Mrs. Karen
Akiwumi-Tandoh was hopeful
that the new branch would help
grow the bank’s commercial
banking portfolio and would be
particularly relevant
to the numerous
businesses within
the Industrial
Area. She noted
that following the
continuous change
in the banking
landscape in Ghana,
there was the need
to design packages
that would meet
the demand of the
banking public.
Mrs. Akiwumi-
Tandoh added: “As
the requirements of consumers
increased, we at First Atlantic
Bank are constantly redesigning
our value proposition to deliver
on your expectations and in
response to customers’ demands;
our strategy is to create and roll
out branches that are specifically
suited to their environment and by
so doing position our branches to
constituently deliver a memorable
customer experience.”
According to her, customers
demand greater convenience,
increased accessibility, a wider
variety of products and services,
improved system availability,
good customer service and faster
turn-around times.
Ghanaian Chronicle
M-Pawa…we are proud to have played
a key role in allowing many Tanzanians
who did not yet have access to financial
services to become active players in
the country’s economy through this
service.’
BalancingAct Africa
mONDAY | DECEMBER 15, 2014

6. FRANKLY SPEAKING06
By kirit sobti,
editor, iat
editor@indoafricatimes.com
T
he insurance market on the continent of Africa
has transformed and continues to transform
considerably - but it still has a long way to go.
At the same time as it shelters only 10% of the
world’s population, the G7 accounts for almost
65% of the world’s insurance premiums. In 2012,
individuals in developing markets spent USD 3,700
less per capita on insurance premiums than those
within the G7.
Of the regions believed as “emerging markets” -
although the more developed parts of Asia had
the highest premiums per capita (USD 4,387.5),
the continent of Africa was ranked last with USD
66.4. (i.e. only 1.5% of the premiums in the more
developed parts of Asia).
It consequently comes as little wonder that
the African insurance market is expressively less
innovative than much of the rest of the world. The
most common pointer of a radical insurance sector
is the insurance penetration ratio (i.e. the gross
value of insurance premiums as a percentage of
GDP).
The reinsurer Swiss Re’s 2013 Global Insurance
Report measured Africa as having a penetration
rate of 3.65%. This is far below the world average
of 6.5%. Furthermore, this figure is satisfying to the
continent as it embraces the South African insurance
market - one of the most advanced in the world.
Two foremost factors contribute to the state of
Africa’s insurance sector. The first is a general theme
of distrust. Throughout the continent there is a lack
of promptly available information on a person’s
background. Government accounts can be meagre
and official records unsatisfactory. This makes it
problematic to evaluate an individual’s soundness.
This in turn has settled a suspicion of non-face-to-
face transactions. Across much of Africa there is a
mistrust of the internet that has not troubled the
Western markets.
The privacy of the web alarms domestic and
foreign businesses, which distress cheats and fraud.
Certainly, to perform insurance on the internet in
Mozambique or Angola (to name a few) one must fill
in an online application and then actually visit the
local insurance branch in person to make physical
payments. The use of a system of standing order or
direct debit is just not possible.
The theme of corporate suspicion is shared.
Whereas businesses and financial service
workers are suspicious of their customers,
African individuals are similarly sceptical of their
institutions. At the same time as this sarcasm is
usually intended towards the banks it feasts to the
insurance sector as well.
Perhaps as a result of these opinions many
African societies have developed their own informal
methods of communal insurance.
This matter is further combined by the potential
risk of corruption in many African jurisdictions.
Indeed, from a legal viewpoint, under-developed
jurisdictive miss the mark to provide consumers and
investors with the reassurance they necessitate. In a
business driven by faith and danger many are put off
by the lack of security the local legal systems offer
their insurers and insured.
The second and perhaps more significant cause
A LONG WAY TO GO…
Besides the competitive
pricing and unique data
offers, the device insurance
offer by Airtel provides our
customers with safety and
security of their devices
and the peace of mind
while they use their iPhone
device powered by Airtel's
quality network in Kenya.
Dr. CJ Jone
CEO, Acre Africa
Adil El Youssefi
CEO, Airtel Kenya
Local government minister Francis
Kaboneka urged local leaders to
sensitize communities to join Mutelle
de Sante, a community-based health
insurance, to ease access to quality and
cheaper health services.
He was addressing Ngoma District
leaders. Kaboneka, who commended
the district’s ranking in recent
performance contracts (Imihigo), said
that Ngoma’s 70 per cent insurance
coverage is still low. He warned that
low health insurance subscription
could undermine the district’s overall
performance in next year’s Imihigo.
“Ngoma District was the second in
last year’s country-wide rankings, but
I am afraid that you risk sliding back
instead of moving to position one,” he
said.
Community-based health insurance
was introduced in 1999 and expanded
to cover a majority of the Rwandans by
2012.
Government sees it as one of the
key policies that help improve access to
health services across the country.
People subscribe for Mutuelle de
Sante according to categories. Those
considered very poor pay an annual
premium of Rwf2, 000 that is settled by
government on their behalf.
The rest are expected to pay for
themselves premiums of Rwf3,000 and
Rwf7,000.
Dr. William Namara, the Director
of Kibungo Hospital said the low
subscription for the health insurance
affected the hospital.
“It affects our operations…we
may even fail to pay for medicine if
this trend continues. Otherwise we
may stop at offering consultation and
sending patients to buy medicine
somewhere else,” he said.
District leaders say they would
mount a door-to-door sensitisation
campaign.
“We have started a marathon
programme that will see every leader
busy with sensitisation. We can’t
afford to be let down by one aspect
in performance contracts,” said
Providence Kirenga, the Vice Mayor
Social Affairs.
New Times
Kaboneka urges
leaders to promote
health insurance
We are determined to
champion a paradigm shift
towards equity, fairness and
innovation in the agricultural
sector. Majority of the farmers
are small holder farmers. The
agriculture insurance market
in Kenya focuses mainly on
large scale farmers, therefore
Acre Africa seeks to address
this problem by developing
insurance products.
From a clean
insurance
viewpoint,
the operating
environment is
also becoming
more constructive
- increased
constancy and
enhancements in
transparency
of Africa’s less advanced insurance market is merely
the deprived economic track record of African
countries. For years very low or non-existent growth
and minimal economic incentive has beleaguered
the continent. However, it is for this reason that the
future of the African insurance market is now so
promising.
With few exceptions (notably the wealthy Middle
East, where Islam forbids conventional insurance),
there is a direct positive correlation between GDP
per capita and premiums per capita. At first glance,
this reflects poorly upon the continent. Africa has
constantly recorded a lower GDP per capita than
any other populated continent for as long as the
statistics go back. This is clearly demonstrated by
the fact that over the last 60 years the countries
of Africa have recorded an average per capita GDP
growth of only 1.17%, whereas Asia have relished
average growth of 3.9%. In any event, pointers
suggest that all this is now changing.
For the past ten years the African economy
(taken as a whole) has grown between 5% and 7%
per annum (well above the world average). During
this period real income per person in Africa has
augmented by more than 30%.
Considering Africa’s favourable demographics
and wealth of natural resources (including 60% of
the world’s uncultivated arable land), such rate of
growth is not anticipated to slow any time soon.
From a clean insurance viewpoint, the operating
environment is also becoming more constructive
- increased constancy and enhancements in
transparency and the rule of law are all contributing
to a growth in regional insurance practices. This is
revealed in the high rate of market liberalisation
that has been seen across Africa, as insurance
companies have efficaciously pushed governments
to allow private entry into the previously state
monopolised sectors.
The shared enthusiasm surrounding the
liberalisation of the African markets is not
unfounded. Insurance market liberalisation has been
confirmed to have considerable positive effects on
economic health.
If a momentous quantity of the households
behave in this way, the growth of consumer demand
will be adversely affected, thus halting industrial
and GDP growth. A competitive insurance facility
is needed to safeguard the completeness of a
market. Although in turn the completeness of a
market is required to encourage a competitive
insurance sector. It is this positive cycle that we are
now beginning to see across much of the African
continent.
Given the vast vicissitudes in economic growth
rates and the liberalisation of insurance markets
over the past decade, the world is now beginning to
view the insurance markets on the African continent
with serious interest. As the improvements and
growth continue, in the more under developed
regions of Africa it seems predictable that these
changes will reduce mistrust of businesses and
financial institutions and develop a reliable platform
upon which the insurance industry can build. In the
more industrialised regions of Africa the building
has already begun.
The Budding African Insurance Market
MONDAY | DECEMBER 15, 2014

7. TRAVELtourism 07
E
ntering the magical world of Egypt tourist can witness the beautiful monuments depicting the
ancient Egypt, beautiful beaches and the stunning deserts. Egypt offers a great opportunity
to experience the rich culture portraying the glorifying history and old traditions. One can get
mesmerized in the temples, tombs, museums, monuments that display ancient artefacts such as
coins, ceramic art, ancient emperors, mosaics, sarcophagi and mummies. The famous sound and
light show at the Temple of Philae or Abu-Simbel is one of the most renowned place in Egypt.
The Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the
most eminent structures listed in the seven
wonders of ancient world. It is one of the
greatest architectural structures made by
man and is the oldest about 5000 years
ago. It is only wonder present amongst the
Seven Wonders of the World. The pyramids
in Giza mainly includes 3 pyramids viz. the
Great Pyramid of Khufu(or Cheops), the
Pyramid of Kafhre and the smaller Pyramid
of Menkaura.
Each pyramid is dedicated to a king of
Egypt. The Sphinx lies in the front also called
Abu al – Hol in Arabic which means “Father
of Terror”. The entrance of the pyramid is
north facing and placed at a great height. The
entrance is also connected to a passageway
which slide down 191 ft through the pyramid
into an underground chamber.
This passage takes a person to Grand
Gallery which ultimately leads to the
Pharaoh’s Chamber. It is built with red
granite, and it is believed that the pyramid
was constructed around the sarcophagus.
Airshafts were also explored in the pyramids.
The four airshafts were considered as the
“escape routes” for the Pharaoh’s soul. Two
of the airshaft directs to Orion and the other
two direct towards the polar stars.
Initially, the Great Pyramid of Giza was
constructed to display Egypt’s wealth and
power but at present the pyramids are a
symbol depicts Egypt’s rich history and
culture. The Great Pyramid of Giza is a
witness to the Intelligence and technological
advancement of Egypt’s ancient civilization.
The Interesting Facts
1. The pyramid is constructed with about
2,30,000 stone blocks with weight of
2-30 tons and some even weigh upto 70
tons.
2. Two types of limestones were used in
pyramid construction. The core blocks
were made by soft limestone and a hard
white limestone was used for the mantle.
3. The Great Pyramid could be seen from
the mountains of Isarel and even moon
due to its mantle.
4. The Pyramid is located at the
centre of the land mass
of the earth.
5. The cornerstone
present in the
pyramid have ball and
socket which have
the capability to
deal with heat
expansion and
earthquakes.
ADVENTUROUS EGYPT
It is on the best of destination
for adventure lovers. Egypt
award tourists with exciting
sports like quad biking in
eastern desert, rambling the
Sinai Mountains and camping
in the white desert. Another
thrilling and miraculous
adventurous sport to explore in
Egypt is diving. Diving through
the coasts of Egypt an individual
can feel the underwater
wealth of undersea life. The
exceptional underwater living
can be discovered by means of
German submarine. Kite surfing
in Safaga offers immense fun.
Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel is the most well known
monument of ancient Egypt after The
Great Pyramids of Egypt. Words can't
explain the amazing view when you see
the marvelous sunrise upon Abu Simbel
temple every day.
The most spectacular feature about
this monument is that it is built on the
solid rocks above the banks of Nile River
between the first and second cataracts. A
beautiful sound and light show is played
daily. In addition, Abu Simbel festival
takes place twice a year in February
and October. The natural sunlight and
excellent architecture lights up the
temple.
It’s a breathtaking sight and the
music, dance and food completely
complements the festival and creates
a beautiful environment. Abu Simbel is
located near the Egyptian border with
Sudan. The closest town to the temple
is Aswan. The best way to reach Abu
Simbel is by boat.
Interesting Facts:
1. The Abu Simbel Temple is made of
two individual temples which were
build during the rule of King Ramses
II in 1200 B.C. One temple is dedicated
to King Ramses II and second one to
his wife Queen Nefertari.
2. The Nefertari Hotel is the closest to
Abu Simbel Temple and is located at
a walking distance.
mONDAY | DECEMBER 15, 2014

8. TALKINGTECHNOLOGY08
K
S Unité, a conglomerate
comprising internationally
acclaimed brands whish are
making a mark worldwide with
a complete range of specialized
services to cater to the diversified
requirements of its clients. An
International Turnkey Consultancy
in Africa is how the organization
commenced operations over a
decade ago and went from one
successful step to another. We, with
our various verticals, try to touch
the important sectors and provide
the best possible solutions.
The assemblage has set a
bold target of creating a niche for
itself in international business by
focusing on resource optimization
through state of art and futuristic
businesss solutions. It is proud to
have earned the patronage from
many African countries and strived
to add many more to its customer
base.
Different Verticals
LESDEP
Commenced in 2010; LESDEP,
a Skills Center Project, emanated
from public-private partnership
WE WORK FAST, COMMUNICATE AND CONNECT FASTER
Aligning opportunities
to success
KS unite
under the patronage of relevant
African ministries of vocational
training, skill development,
empowerment, human resource
and rural development that seek
to facilitate the acquisition of
technical and entrepreneurial
skills among youth within the
country.
Indocorp
Indocorp has been
incorporated as the mainline
business vertical rendering
Turnkey Consultancy and
complete related services for
Springboard Enterprises India
Ltd. With head office in New Delhi,
we have initiated our presence
in Africa with the Ghana, West
Africa branch. We are currently
establishing other offices as well
in the continent for operational
efficiency.
Commencing operations in
August, 2005, Indocorp, an ISO
9001:2000 certified company; has
added milestones in its journey
towards professional excellence.
Our broad, interesting and
varied experiences have taught
us that the only way to achieve
perfection in action is to deliver
the best possible solutions time
and time again, no matter what
the conditions are. And, this has
carried us far in our endeavors.
 Incubator cum Training Center
Skill Development Institutes
 SKD Tractor Assembly Plant
 Waste Management
 Fibre lining of wooden canoes
 Plastic Recycling
 Food Processing
 Fruit Juice Processing Unit
 Jute Bag Plant
 Modernizing the Fishing
Industry
 Solar Energy
 Ports, Harbours Inland
Waterways
 Waste Recycling Plant
K.S.Infosystems
Dedicated to deliver effective
ICT solutions at extreme
peripherals, we, KS Infosystems
Private Limited, the IT and
Communication faction of KS
Unite, have been able to gain
immense accolades for providing
IT, AV and security solutions to the
corporate world, governmental
organizations, banking financial
industries, since 2000.
 Municipal Revenue Collection
 Telecom Revenue Monitoring
 Crowd Management
 Tourism Revenue Collection
 Bio-Metric Smart CardBased
Payroll Systems
 ICT Hub (Computer Community
Centre)
 Integrated Customs Processes
 Vehicle Tracking
 Video Conferencing
 E-Classroom
 Setting up TV Station
HealBliss
Medical Tourism is one such
aspect that is growing rapidly in
India and helping the patients
from other countries to attain the
best facilities along with a better
and improved health conditions.
Therefore, Heal '' Bliss continues
to provide world class health care
with the superb accommodations
and thus strengthening the
relations between Africa n
countries and India. Heal '' Bliss
has always continues to project
sincere efforts for public health
intervention so as to improve
health and quality of life through
the prevention and treatment of
disease and other physical and
mental health conditions, through
surveillance of cases and the
promotion of healthy behaviors.
 Patient referral for Medical
Tourism
 Setting up of Diagnostic Centres
Hospitals
 Setting up of Telemedicine
Facilities
 Establishing of Super Specialty
Hospital
 Wellness Centre
CADD Centre
Computer Aided Designing,
Drafting and Manufacturing
(CAD, CAM and CAE) courses are
offered by CADD Centre, Rohini
which is a network centre of CADD
Centre, Chennai. CADD Centre
offers industry specific courses in
following engineering Streams:
• Mechanical
• Civil
• Electrical
• Architectural
•ProjectPlanningandManagement
KS Academy
KIMMS a brand of KS Academy
is an institute with a truly global
outlook. The institute provides a
learning platform that promotes
innovation, leadership and
academic research. The institute
offers an atmosphere for change,
engaging in ongoing dialogue
with students and companies to
identify emerging strategic issues
as well as research and hiring
needs. There is a need to develop
readily “Employable” trained and
qualified manpower in various
sectors of technology.
Contact Details
2nd Floor,Garg Shopping Mall,
Plot No. 7,8,9, Opp. Sector-11 ,
Rohini Phase-II Delhi-110085 India
Tel : +91 11 47514751,
Fax: +91 11 47514752
Email: info@ksgco.org
Guinea Conakry, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe,
U.A.E., Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon,
The Gambia, Togo, Kenya, Tanzania, Niger,
Zambia, DR Congo, Singapore
MONDAY | DECEMBER 15, 2014

9. TRYSOMETHINGNEW 09
Ingredients
 2 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes or 2 1/2 lbs
yams, peeled
 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
 5 eggs, lightly beaten
 Canola oil
Prepration Method
1. Loosely grate potatoes in food processor
and place in mixing bowl.
2. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
upcoming
Fight the elephant,
and not his shadow
THOUGHT OF
THE WEEK
India Ideas Conclave –
2014
“India Ideas Conclave – 2014”
is India’s most eclectic and
thought-provoking platform
for global thought leaders
and renowned subject matter
experts to discuss cutting
edge ideas in various fields
of human development. The
Conclave will bring together
brilliant minds across all
disciplines that impact human
affairs.
Date: 19 – 21 December, 2014
Venue: Hotel Park Hyatt, Goa
Techcircle Startup 2014
Whooping thrill and excitement
among the startup ecosystem
in India has witnessed
euphoria among angel
venture capital investors,
pool of local talent, scores
of mentors, incubators
accelerators. To capture the
latest and lasting excitement
in the Indian tech ecosystem,
Techcircle presents Techcircle
Startup 2014 in Mumbai, which
comes across as a breeding
ground for entrepreneurs, early
stage adopters and investors
coming from diversified
industry background
geographies.
Date: 17 Dec, 2014
Venue: The Lalit, Mumbai
APQI National Seminar
on Total Power Quality
Management
Asia Power Quality Initiative
(APQI) is organizing its 20th
seminar on “Total Power
Quality Management”.
The one day application
oriented technical seminar is
designed to develop a basic
understanding of important
power quality issues prevailing
in the Industry identify different
categories of PQ incidents,
methods for analyzing these
problems and their possible
solutions. The target groups
are Electrical Engineer,
practicing engineers/utility
managers in core process
sectors, infrastructure sector,
telecom, IT/ITES industry,
Policy makers, consultants, etc.
Date: 18th December 2014
Venue: Hotel fortune Land Mark,
Indore
Connect 2014
Confederation of Indian
Industry (CII) has been
organizing CONNECT Event
in Chennai for the past 12
years. The Connect series has
been the forum for Indian ICT
Industry to confer on latest
trends developments. This
premier annual Conference
cum Exposition on Information
and Communication
Technology has been focusing
on Tamil Nadu’s growth in
ICT Sector. With over 50
billion devices expected to be
connected by 2020, the digital
infrastructure will transform and
revolutionize the world around
us.
Date: 15- 16 Dec, 2014
Venue: Hotel ITC Grand Chola,
Rajendra Hall, Guindy, 63, Mount
Road, Guindy, Chennai, Tamil
Nadu, India.
The Ambassador-Designate of Egypt, Mr. Hatem El Sayed Tageldin presenting his credential to the President,
Shri Pranab Mukherjee, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on December 09, 2014.

picture of the week
3. Mix in eggs.
4. Cover and refrigerate (up to 4 hours) until
time to fry.
5. In large non-stick skillet, heat enough oil
to cover bottom of the pan.
6. Spoon out the batter into pan, being
careful not to crowd.
7. Cook until crisp and brown on one side,
then turn and fry on other side.
8. Keep finished pancakes warm in oven
until all pancakes are fried.
9. Drain on paper towels.
Unique pancakes to try out
1. They reduce heart attack
risk
Those who consume nuts five times
a week have about a 50 percent
reduction in risk of heart attack
according to the Loma Linda School
of Public Health.
2. Theylower‘bad’cholesterol
Almonds added to the diet have a
favorable effect on blood cholesterol
levels, according to a clinical study
by Dr. Gene Spiller, Director of
the Health Research and Studies
Center, Inc.
3. They protects artery walls
from damage
It was found that the flavonoids in
almond skins work in synergy with
the vitamin E, thus reducing the risk
of heart disease (Research at Tufts
University).
4. Almonds help build strong
bones and teeth
The phosphorus in almonds helps
• It is better to apply castor oil for a
healthy growth of hair.
• Wash hair with tea once in a week.
• Apply besan in the hair and wash it
with water drained from the cooked
rice.
• Soak a handful of gooseberries in
a cup of milk for two hours. Make a
paste and apply on the hair.
• Apply the mixture of an egg white,
2 spoons of castor oil, 1 spoon
glycerin, in the scalp and hair. Wash
it after some time.
• Massage hair with warm coconut oil
an hour before washing. Let it soak.
Cover your head with a hot towel
and wash your hair after an hour or
so.
• Boil a few hibiscus flowers in
coconut oil. Filter and use this hair
oil to control hair loss and thinning.
• Do a 'steam-towel-wrap' once in a
while, if your cuticles are damaged,
as this steaming opens out the
make this possible.
5. They provide healthy fats and
aid in weight loss
Although nuts are high in fat, frequent
nut eaters are thinner on average than
those who almost never consume
nuts. Those who ate nuts at least two
times per week were 31 percent less
likely to gain weight than were those
who never or seldom ate them in a
study involving 8865 adults.
6. They help provide good brain
function
Almonds contain riboflavin and
L-carnitine, nutrients that boost brain
activity and may also reduce the risk
of Alzheimer’s disease.
7. They nourish the nervous
system
According to Ayurveda, almonds help
increase high intellectual level and
longevity.
8. They alkalize the body
Almonds are the only nut and
one of the few proteins that are
alkaline forming. When your body
is not alkaline enough, you risk
osteoporosis, poor immune function,
low energy and weight gain.
African Sweet Potato Pancakes
Health
benefits of
Almonds
The Wodaabe people
do not name their
children until they
reach twelve years old.
8
pores and absorbs the oil.
• Soak 1 teaspoon fenugreek in curd
and keep it for a night. Apply it in the
next morning.
• Boil coconut oil with the juices of
curry leaves, basil, hibiscus flower
and gooseberry. Apply on hair, keep
it for sometime and rinse.
• Takeacupeachcoconutandmustard
oil. Soak half a cup of curry leaves in
the oil mixture and keep it for a night.
Next morning, heat on a slow fire till
the curry leaves turn crisp. Remove
from heat and add two to three
camphor balls. Allow oil to cool and
then strain. Apply oil to hair roots
using cotton wool along the parting
and massage in circular movements.
Leave the oil overnight and shampoo
the next morning. Repeat twice a
week.
• Add a lemon peel to a 'shikakai' and
'amla' mixture while washing your
hair.
NIGER
Different
ways to
keep hair
shiny and
healthy
mONDAY | DECEMBER 15, 2014

10. THEFASHIONISTAS10
After 63 days of living in a confined
house, Tanzania's Idris has
emerged winner of this year's Big
Brother Africa (Hotshots) reality
show.
He amassed the highest
number of votes to beat seven
other finalists, JJ (Zimbabwe), Tayo
(Nigeria), Butterphly (Zimbabwe),
Macky2 (Zambia), Sipe (Malawi),
Nhlanhla (South Africa) and
Ghana's M'am Bea to the title.
Idris thus wins the jackpot
prize of $300,000 and the title as
winner of the shortest season of
the reality show with featured 26
housemates.
The finale night kicked off with
an impressive performance from
some evicted housemates of this
season's show. After a recap of the
final week and exciting moments
of this year's show, and also the
housemates presenting their last
task extravaganza performance,
host of the show, IK got down to
business.
Butterphly and M'am Bea saw
Dr Thomas Muyombo aka Tom
Close wowed concert goers at
Kigali Serena Hotel, as he launched
two new albums- Ihogora and Isi.
Music lovers from all over
Kigali turned up in big numbers
to enjoy the concert that started
at 6pm.
The concert started with
energetic performances by some
of the country’s talented musicians
such as Gaby Umutware, Peace
Jolis and Hope Irakoze, the winner
of Tusker Project Fame season 6,
(TPF6). Umutware hit the stage
first, performing his single Ayo
bavuga. He was followed by Peace
who was backed by Sauti Band.
Irakoze rocked the stage with his
powerful voice before teaming up
with Peace for a duet.
Kina Music artistes
Christopher Muneza, Dream Boys
and Knowless also delivered
energetic performances. Donning
traditional Rwandan outfit,
Muneza performed two singles,
Agatima and Babyumva, while the
Tanzania's Idris wins BBA (Hotshots), Ghana loses out again
their hopes of winning the money
dashed as they became the first
two of the final eight housemates
to be evicted. M'am Bea's eviction
meant that Ghana has to again
wait for another year to see if her
dream of winning the reality show
for the first time will ever come to
pass.
Last year, Elikem Kumordzie
became the first Ghanaian to
reach the reality show's finale. He
emerged third in the Big Brother
Africa (The Chase) reality show .
M'am Bea: I have done so well
Ghana's two representatives -
Kacey Moore and M'am Bea - for
this season's show were selected
to represent the country through
a special audition in South Africa.
Organizers, Endemol selected
representatives for Ghana in South
Africa due to challenges with visa
acquisition by the four Ghanaians
selected in the Accra auditions .
The decision to select the
Ghanaian candidates from South
Africa generated a huge public
debate with many concluding that
the country's representative will
not be Ghanaian enough.
But making it to finale, M'am
Bea, in spite of losing out on the
grand prize believes that she has
done very well.
The 25-year-old Ghanaian
fashion designer told IK after her
eviction that: “I think I have done
so well. One thing I can say is I
thank God for bringing me this far.”
M'am Bea was known as the
mother of the house for her tender
caring love and her passion for
cooking. This, she said is due to the
fact that, she has “a caring heart” a
trait she picked from her mother.
Housemates JJ, Sipe, Nhlanhla
and Macky2 were evicted
subsequently leaving Tanzania's
Idris and Nigeria's Tayo having
their eyes on the grand prize.
After those evictions, Tayo and
Idris were asked to report to the
Diary Room where Big Brother,
in a bid to calm their nerves, had
a chit-chat with them and wished
M
zvee took the centre stage to
entertain guests at the launch
in Accra of adidas, the leading
global sports retailer. MzVee shot to fame
with her smash single 'Natural Girl' and
followed it up with hit collaborations with
Shatta Wale, Stone Buoy and Lazy of VVIP.
The reigning dancehall queen of Ghana
performed some of the songs that made her the toast of music fans
currently.
The adidas launch saw the grandpapa of Hiplife Reggie
Rockstone, D-Black, former Black Stars skipper Rev. Osei
Kofi, Coach Ibrahim Sunday and some Ghanaian celebrities in
attendance.
The guest of honor was the Deputy Minister of Youth Sports,
Hon. Vincent Oppong-Asamoah.
The Senior New Business Development Manager of adidas
Africa, Astrud Meintjes expressed delight over their entry into
the Ghanaian market, which represents a new era for the brand's
expansion into more African countries.
'The stores in Ghana rival some of the best in Cape Town,
Johannesburg and I dare say some European countries, offering a
fusion of performance and style items that will revolutionize the
consumer experience of Ghanaians.'
Modern Ghana
MzVee Shines at
Adidas Launch
them well.
In the midst of fireworks, the
two remaining housemates were
rushed to evictions stage in a
stretch limo. When they appeared
on stage, Tayo disclosed that if he
emerges winner, he will use the
money to pay his tithe and also pay
the bride price of the woman in his
life.
Idris, on the other hand said
if he wins the money, “ I will give
it back to Africa, since the money
came from Africa,”
After a few nerve-racking
moments, IK declared Idris as the
winner of this season's show and
as soon as that declaration was
made, other housemates rushed to
hug and congratulate him.
A very elated Idris simply told
IK “I'm exhausted. It's been a long
way.”
Modern Ghana
Tom Close puts up a spectacular performance
duo of Dream Boys sang Uzahahe
uronke. The crowd danced and
chanted along. With his stylish
outfit, beautiful sound, Tom Close,
as he is affectionately known, kept
the crowd on its feet. He gave a
lively and entertaining 45-minute
performance before making way
again for the curtain-raisers. Tom
Close was backed by the Nyundo
School of Arts’ (WDA) band and
the dancers. Other highlights of
the evening included a comedy
performance by Gilles Julius
Niyitejeka. The 17-year-old
presented unique and exciting
jokes. At some point, Niyitejeka
mimicked show-biz personalities
and left the audience in a rib
cracking laughter.
The Ndacyagukunda singer
said he was delighted after staging
a successful concert.
“We prepared for a month. I am
grateful for the fans and artists and
sponsors that helped. I wouldn’t
have achieved much by myself. I
always kept in touch with the fans
and it has paid off,” he said.
The concert also featured
performances by Jules Sentore,
Mani Martin, Jean-Claude, Michel
Ngabo, and Cyusa.
New Times

MzVee
MONDAY | DECEMBER 15, 2014

11. SPORTS2WATCH 11
D
eputy Minister of Youth
Sports, Hon. Vincent
Oppong-Asamoah has
praised global sports kit maker,
adidas, for supporting Ghana's
sports development over the years.
He revealed that some of
Ghana's greatest accomplishments
in football and other sporting
disciplines on the world stage were
achieved with the players wearing
adidas jerseys.
The deputy minister made
these remarks at the launch in
Accra of adidas, the leading global
sports retailer.
In attendance were former
Black Stars skipper Rev. Osei Kofi,
Coach Ibrahim Sunday and some
Ghanaian celebrities.
Hon. Vincent Oppong-
Asamoah, who was the guest
of honour, said: 'In the 1990s
especially, the Black Stars were
kitted by adidas and when Ghana
AC Milan midfielder Michael
Essien has his say on Chelsea's
chances of winning the Premier
League title.
Jose Mourinho's side suffered
their first loss in the Premier
League this season when they
went down 2-1 to the Magpies at
St. James' Park.
It's too early to say they are
racing to the Premier League but
they have put themselves in a
good position. I am sure they know
nothing is won in December so
Minister Lauds Adidas Mukunzi wins best bowler award at
African tourney
Blue heart: New Chelsea a delight to watch- Essien
made exploits on
the world stage,
when Samuel
Osei Kuffour and
his Black Starlets
teammates won
the FIFA Under-17
Championship in
Italy 23 years ago,
they did so wearing
adidas'.
He recounted
how Ghana became
the first African
country to win an
Olympic medal,
after the Black
Meteors won
bronze at the
Barcelona Olympics.
'Three years later, Coach Sam
Arday led the Starlets to conquer
the world wearing adidas jersey
and boots.'
The Retail Director of adidas
Africa, Warren Bowers said, 'Ghana
as one of Africa's most stable
governments, has witnessed a
growing economy and increased
spending power, with the Ghanaian
consumer becoming more
sophisticated and opting for quality
consumer goods, now more than
ever before. This has attracted
many foreign retailers to Ghana,
who view the current modern
retail penetration levels as an
opportunity to offer the Ghanaian
consumer world class goods and
services'.
The Nester square store
opened for operation on Monday
1st December.
Modern Ghana
Rwanda’s Betty Mukunzi was named the
best bowler at the just concluded ICC
Africa U-19 girls’ tournament in Dar es
Salaam, Tanzania.
The medium pace bowler picked
nine wickets at the continental showpiece
against Botswana (three), Mozambique
(three) Uganda (two) and Tanzania (one).
It was Rwanda’s only award at the three-
day competition.
Rwanda finished in fifth position
with four points after two wins and
three losses same as Botswana,
however, the latter had a better net
run rate of 0.1183 as compared to
Rwanda’s -0.5562.
“The games were really tough
but the girls worked hard. It was a
very good competition for our young
players,” explained Joshua Mwanja,
Rwanda’s head coach.
Rwanda defeated Botswana by five
wickets and won against Mozambique
by 19 runs but struggled against
eventual champions Uganda losing by
16 runs.
Captain Sarah Uwera was
Rwanda’s highest runs scorer with 43
while Marie Raphaella Ganimana (38),
Diane Bimenyimana (33) and Egidie
Uwimana added 21 runs.
Against Kenya in the opening
game, a side Rwanda defeated at last
year’s edition, the latter lost by 66 runs.
The national side was also defeated by
hosts Tanzania by five runs.
Despite losing to Botswana,
Uganda retained the continental title,
which they have won for five years in
a row. Kenya finished in second place.
Both had eight points but Uganda
(1.6069) had a better net run rate that
Kenya’s 1.0500.
Tanzania finished third while
winless Mozambique was the sixth.
New Times

Hon. Vincent Oppong-Asamoah, Deputy Minister of
Youth Sports, Ghana
they will keep going till the end,
Essien said.
It's a totally different team [to
ourteam]aswewereadestructive
team. We had some flair players
but not as many as the current
team, and what we did well was
destroy teams and made sure you
never had a sniff of a chance.
He added: This team will get
there at some point but they are
a delight to watch and I am sure
Chelsea fans are loving their play.
Modern Ghana

Michael Essien
mONDAY | DECEMBER 15, 2014

12. ENCOUNTER WITH EDITOR12
Owner / Publisher / Editor: Mr. Kirit Sobti from 3rd Floor, Plot No. 3, Block PSP-IV, Service Centre Opp. Sector-11 (Extn.), Rohini, Delhi-85
Printed at LIPEE SCAN PVT. LTD. 89 DSIDC SHED Okhala Phase 1, New Delhi
What is the main objective of Africa
CEO forum? Enlighten us with some of
the highlights achievements of the
Forum.
Since its inception in 2012, the
AFRICA CEO FORUM has established
itself as the unparalleled international
event devoted to promoting the African
private sector. As such, each year, the
event brings together top African and
international CEOs and investors, to
discuss African private sector’s growth
strategies and to network.
The previous edition of the forum
was a resounding success; it has gathered
more than 700 participants, including
500 CEOs, 57 countries represented
among which 38 African countries.
Competitiveness, local processing,
intra-African investment and, indeed,
Africa’s financial capacity were all on
the agenda of the previous edition.
The proceedings were rich, intense
and substantive. The discussions
represented a more clear-headed and
measured response to Africa’s growth
and attractiveness and brought concrete
solutions to our participants. Based on
the success of the previous forum, the
participants have requested unanimously
that the discussions initiated in this
pan-African setting - which is particularly
conducive to business networking - be
continued next year at the AFRICA CEO
FORUM 2015.
In your perspective, which are those
sectors who have alluring aspects in
terms of investment in Africa?
Well, you have so many of them.
Firstly, I would say the “matures” sectors
such as Oil Gas, mining, construction
and banking. Then, for over 10
years, with the continent fast-paced
development, new sectors have emerged
and have been particularly alluring for
investors such as ICT, real estate and
also agro-industry,
where more and
more international
groups have found
fertile grounds
for investments
in Africa. More
recently, you have
the consumer
goods and retail
sector, answering
the needs of the
booming African
middle class.
This forum is one of the grand events
having widest wings around the globe.
What opportunities participants
can entail and how it can drive the
economic force of the continent.
The AFRICA CEO FORUM is a unique
opportunity for participants to network
with top African and international chief
executives, find new financial partners
by meeting the most influent bankers
and investors on the continent, promote
their businesses in Africa and abroad,
challenge their knowledge on the latest
business practices in their industry, and
most importantly, be driving forces to
Africa’s growth. The programme for the
2015 AFRICA CEO FORUM is designed to
foster debate on the strategic priorities
of African businesses. The purpose is to
share concrete solutions to promote the
development and emergence of a strong
African private
sector that create
jobs and is capable
of successfully
competing in the
international arena.
Africa CEO
forum mainly
emphasizes on the
African private
sector. In your
view, how can the
public policies
assist in developing Africa’s Private
sector?
The public authorities are at the
heart of Africa’s development. Hence,
they must garner national consensus
by supporting the implementation of
targeted policies to support the private
sector; such as protectionism measures,
local content policies, and developing
state capitalism for growth and job
creation. In this regard, the AFRICA
CEO FORUM is the premier arena for a
constructive dialogue between public
decision makers and the private sector.
For this third edition, three major
international institutions have decided
to strengthen their partnership with the
AFRICA CEO FORUM in order to enhance
their relationship with the African
private sector: The IFC - International
Finance Corporation - which is part of
the World Bank Group and focuses on
investment in the private sector, the
UNECA - United Nations Economic
Commission for Africa - and the PTA
Trade and Development Bank, which
is the financial and investment arm of
COMESA (Common Market for Eastern
and Southern Africa)
The forum scheduled to be held in
Geneva is home to the headquarters
of many international organizations,
including the United Nations
Organization and the World Trade
Organization amongst others. Do you
think it will influence the traffic of
participants and how?
Yes indeed. We chose on purpose
to settle on a territory that benefits
from an international aura and which is
headquarters to prestigious international
institutions. Furthermore, it is a neutral
place, which is important to us. As a
central location, Geneva is also the ideal
place for international travels of the
CEOs attending the event.
THE PURPOSE IS TO SHARE CONCRETE SOLUTIONS
Do you want to ripen your business, outline your approach and enrich your company’s attractiveness? An
exclusive podium for thought-provoking deliberations, the AFRICA CEO FORUM is an outstanding opportunity
given to companies and investors whose strategy shows their willpower to take part in Africa’s vibrant growth.
The President of Africa CEO Forum goes candid with INDO AFRICA TIMES and talked over the anticipated
upshot from its third edition.
Amir Ben Yahmed
President of the
Africa CEO Forum
MONDAY | DECEMBER 15, 2014