Musings From Abroad

UN food aid ship set to sail to Ethiopia from Ukraine

Published

2 years ago

August 16, 2022

The United Nations-chartered food aid cargo ship, Brave Commander, is all set to sail from Ukraine to Ethiopia after loading up more than 23,000 metric tonnes of wheat in the Ukrainian port of Pivdennyi.

A UN official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the ship which arrived in the port near Odessa, will sail to Ethiopia via a grain corridor through the Black Sea which was brokered by the UN Humanitarian Agency and Turkey in July.

The cargo is the first humanitarian food aid vessel bound for Africa since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February which has thrown most of the continent into hunger and famine.

The UN Resident Coordinator in Ukraine, Denise Brown, said the grain was urgently needed in Ethiopia as conflicts and drought has led to severe famine and hunger.

Brown added that the “United Nations would work to ensure continued shipments to countries around Africa that are facing famine and sharply higher food prices.”

The cargo was funded with donations from the UN World Food Program, the US Agency for International Development and several private donors.

A total of 16 ships have now departed from Ukraine following the deal with Russia to allow a resumption of grain exports from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, after they were stalled for five months due to the war.

Ukraine has more than 20 million tonnes of grain left over from last year’s crop, while this year’s wheat harvest is also estimated at 20 million tonnes.

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Musings From Abroad

Brazilian meatpacker JBS invests $2.5 billion in Nigeria, builds six facilities

Published

2 days ago

November 22, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Brazilian meatpacker JBS says it has inked a memorandum of understanding with the Nigerian government for a $2.5 billion investment plan that will include the construction of six new plants in the African nation.

Three of the plants would deal in poultry, two in beef, and one in pork, according to a statement from JBS.

In accordance with the memorandum of understanding, JBS stated that it would develop a five-year investment plan in Nigeria, which would include budget estimates, feasibility studies, and an action plan for the development of the local supply chain.

The Nigerian government would then guarantee the sanitary, regulatory, and economic conditions required for the project’s viability, JBS continued.

Musings From Abroad

China’s Xi meets with Morocco’s Crown Prince

Published

2 days ago

November 22, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Morocco’s official media reports that Chinese President, Xi Jinping, visited Morocco briefly on Thursday.

According to Morocco’s MAP, Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan welcomed Xi in Casablanca. The visit demonstrated the close ties of camaraderie, collaboration, and solidarity between the Moroccan and Chinese peoples, it said.

China’s official broadcaster, CCTV, said that Xi and Hassan had a “cordial conversation” at the airport after being received by the Crown Prince and Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch.

After attending the G20 Summit in Brazil, Xi paid the visit.

In recent years, China has increased its investments in Morocco’s rail and infrastructure. Morocco is desirable for Chinese electric car battery manufacturers because of its proximity to Europe, free trade agreements with important EU and US markets, and an established automotive sector.

Morocco was chosen by Chinese EV battery company Gotion High Tech in June to establish Africa’s first gigafactory, which will cost $1.3 billion in total.