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Malawi gets $11.2 million insurance payout after El Nino-linked drought disaster

Published

2 months ago

August 20, 2024

An insurance payout of $11.2 million has been given to the government of Malawi in response to a severe drought caused by El Nino that prompted the southern African country to declare a state of emergency earlier this year.

Malawi received the settlement this month, the African Development Bank announced on Monday. Through the bank and the African Union organisation African Risk Capacity Group, Malawi has a drought insurance policy.

The African Development Bank stated that the funding will help with direct relief payments to over 100,000 households as well as food assistance to almost 235,000 households in some of Malawi’s most affected districts.

Lazarus Chakwera, the president of Malawi, described the payment as “a lifeline for our vulnerable populations.”

The El Nino natural weather phenomenon is responsible for the drought that has devastated Malawi’s food supply, making the country already among the poorest in the world. The drought lasted for a full year before concluding in June. In March, the nation declared a state of emergency, citing a food crisis in 23 out of 28 districts.

Because of El Nino’s below-average rainfall between November and April, crops have failed throughout the region. Throughout southern Africa, small-scale agriculture provides a livelihood for tens of millions of people.

At a heads-of-state meeting this past weekend in Zimbabwe, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) stated that over 68 million people, or 17% of the region’s population, require assistance due to drought.

According to the U.S. Agency for International Development, southern Africa saw its worst drought in almost a century during the first three months of this year. All across the region, crops have failed due to El Nino’s below-average rainfall between November and April. Tens of millions of people in southern Africa depend on small-scale agriculture for their livelihood.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) announced during this past weekend’s heads-of-state conference in Zimbabwe that more than 68 million people—or 17% of the region’s population—need help as a result of the drought.

The first three months of this year saw southern Africa experience its worst drought in nearly a century, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Zimbabwe and Zambia have also declared states of emergency and requested foreign assistance. The African Development Bank stated that payouts for drought insurance were anticipated for Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe by September.

Related Topics:El Nino El Nino drought Featured Malawi

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Fortuna Mining says Burkina Faso won’t scrap permits

Published

15 hours ago

October 9, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

The Burkina Faso government does not intend to revoke Fortuna Mining’s current mining permits within the nation, the Canadian company said on Monday.

Ibrahim Traoré, the leader of the Junta, stated on Saturday that Burkina Faso intended to remove some mining permissions from international businesses and work towards increasing local gold production. However, he did not specify which permits would be revoked.

The entire index fell on Monday as shares of gold miners with projects in the West African nation plummeted precipitously at the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Fortuna Mining’s stock was down 9% at 3:25 PM ET (19:25 GMT). The owner of the Bombero gold mine, Orezone Gold Corp., had a 9% decrease on the TSX.

In addition to addressing several subjects on Saturday to mark two years as president, gold producer Endeavour Mining said Traor hinted that some mining permits would be cancelled.

Endeavour asserted that it is unaware of any intentions to cancel any of the company’s mining permits and that the government continues to support the business.

Growing insecurity has made things more difficult in West African country despite its rich mineral resources. ACLED, a U.S.-based crisis-monitoring organisation, asserts that in 2023, over 8,000 individuals lost their lives in the nation, even though the junta promised to suppress groups linked to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State.

Burkina Faso has witnessed a boom in the mining sector since the early 2000s, primarily in the gold but also in the zinc and manganese industries. At the moment, the country is Africa’s fifth-largest producer of gold.

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Nigerian govt begins 2025 retirees’ enrollment

Published

15 hours ago

October 9, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Nigeria’s National Pension Commission has declared that it has formally begun the process of enrolling potential retirees in 2025, highlighting the significance of early planning.

The commission demanded that ministries, departments, and agencies refrain from any last-minute rush that can interfere with the enrolment process and make it more difficult for retirees to adjust to their new stage of life.

At a workshop held by the National Pension Commission on Monday in Abuja to launch the online enrolment process for pension desk officers of MDAs funded by the Federal government’s Treasury for 2024, Omolola Oloworaran, the acting director-general of the commission, revealed this information.

Currently, 7,348,028 people in Nigeria, or 10.58% of the country’s working population, are registered members of the National Pension Scheme. The commission reported that it paid N1.1tn to 129,435 life annuity applicants in the second quarter of 2024, reflecting advances in pension benefits.

During her speech, the acting director general (DG) said that the purpose of this exercise is to gather precise information so that the federal government may evaluate the Accrued Pension Rights of potential retirees and make the appropriate budgetary adjustments.

The commission, she continued, has advanced significantly by automating the enrolment procedure and launching an online enrolment application that makes retiree enrolment, verification, and registration easy.

Oloworaran said, “At the National Pension Commission, we hold firmly to our statutory responsibility of ensuring a seamless pre-retirement verification and enrolment process for employees of Federal Government Treasury-funded MDAs. Each year, we embark on this exercise to gather accurate data for determining the Accrued Pension Rights of prospective retirees, so that the Federal Government can make the necessary budgetary provisions.

“Today’s session is not just a routine gathering; it is part of PenCom’s commitment to building the capacity of stakeholders, specifically you, the Pension Desk Officers, whose roles are indispensable in this process. Since 2021, we have made significant strides by automating the enrolment process, and introducing an Online Enrolment Application that allows seamless registration, verification, and enrolment of retirees.

“This system, comprising the Retiree, MDA, PFA, and PenCom modules, represents the future of pension administration in Nigeria. As PDOs, you are the linchpin in this process, ensuring that retiree information is properly uploaded and verified. Hence, this workshop aims to equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively use the application and address any challenges that arise during the enrolment process. We are also here to confront the issues of the past head-on.”