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Video: Africa’s first climate summit begins as President Ruto touts Africa’s ‘ample renewable energy potentials’

Published

8 months ago

September 5, 2023

In this video, the Kenyan President, during his opening speech at the first climate summit in the continent on Monday, stated that Africa had “ample renewable energy potentials”. He also charged delegates to consider the current climate crisis as an investment opportunity which he said could attract billions of dollars into Africa.

According to the United Nations, Africa accounts for only 2 to 3 per cent of the world’s carbon emissions but has been the most affected by global warming.

The Kenyan government, in collaboration with the African Union, is championing the conference in Nairobi which is taking place concurrently with Africa Climate Week. Its theme is “Driving green growth and climate finance solutions for Africa and the world.”

Related Topics:Africa Climate Summit Featured president William Ruto

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Video: How Rwanda is driving Ai revolution in Africa

Published

1 hour ago

April 28, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In this video, the Managing Director of Rwanda’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Crystal Rugege, speaks on the country’s frontier role in technological revolution through Artificial Intelligence.

In an interview with IMF-Africa, Rugege revealed that the country chose digital infrastructure as one of its areas of national focus given its difficult past that now required deliberate nation-building.

“What we have seen now in terms of Rwanda’s readiness for the AI revolution is the result of those investments. Now we have 97% broadband coverage, they have invested in attracting world-class institutions like universities offering AI master degrees, and they have deployed thousands of digital ambassadors to meet people at the bottom of the pyramid to share the basic digital literacy to participate in the Ai economy,” she said.

When the Rwandan government released the National Artificial Intelligence Policy for the Republic of Rwanda in 2023, it was meant to help the East African country use AI to its full potential while also reducing its risks. Using the goals of Vision 2050, the Smart Rwanda Master Plan, and other important national plans and policies as a foundation, it gives Rwanda the tools it needs to use AI for growth that benefits everyone.

She, however, admitted that Rwanda was far from perfection in its digital journey as the exercise was a “process”. She added that other African countries needed to unlock access to public data in a structured and protected manner to encourage young innovators in the digital space.

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‘Complex, contentious,’ media enthusiast says media rights often depend on goodwill of political leadership (video)

Published

5 days ago

April 23, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Kitwe Press Club spokesperson, Michael Kaluba, has described the media landscape in Zambia as complex and contentious.

In a conversation with Zambia Monitor in Kitwe, Kaluba examines the place of media freedom and freedom of speech.

He explained that media freedom encompassed the liberties granted to the media under the legislation, allowing them to publish, interact with the public and newsmakers, and disseminate information.

“When discussing media freedoms in Zambia, it’s a contentious issue. In the past, critical media outlets like the Post Newspaper and Prime TV had been shut down under the guise of ‘media freedoms’,” Kaluba stated.

He noted that such actions had led some media houses to tread cautiously in criticizing those in power.

“It’s a delicate balance because media freedoms often depend on the goodwill of those in power,” Kaluba added.

He further argued saying, “If a President is not media-friendly at a given time, media freedoms can be compromised. I advocate for a truly independent media with the freedom to investigate and publish without fear.”

Despite the enactment of the Access to Information bill, Kaluba sees little change in facilitating access to information due to a lack of operational regulations.

“The ATI law is still in its infancy. The media continues to operate under the influence of those in power, despite the constitution’s guarantee of freedom of expression,” Kaluba said.

However, he observed that even though the constitution guarantees freedom of speech, people are still hesitant to discuss certain sensitive topics such as corruption and procurement procedures.

“These are contentious issues that those in power often wish to avoid,” Kaluba noted.

Kaluba voiced his concerns over the seeming overregulation of electronic media by the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) Act, suggesting that IBA regulations should focus solely on professionalism and ethics rather than content control.

He also highlighted the lack of legal protection for journalists while on duty.

“We have heard of legal clinics for the media, but they are not widely publicized. Moreover, most media houses lack in-house legal counsel, leaving our journalists vulnerable,” he explained.

Finally, Kaluba appealed to organisations like the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) and others to connect journalists with legal clinics to ensure the protection they currently lack.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.