Côte d’Ivoire has inaugurated a major state-owned cocoa processing factory in a strategic move to increase local value addition in the global industry. The new facility, built at a cost of 130 billion CFA francs (approximately US$232 million), is located within the PK24 Industrial Park on the outskirts of Abidjan. The newly commissioned Transcao complex covers 21 hectares and marks the country’s first modern, government-owned grinding plant. It is expected to significantly advance Côte d’Ivoire’s goal of processing at least 50 percent of its cocoa production locally by 2030. The facility boasts: An annual processing capacity of 50,000 tons of…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
In a world where Africa often exports its riches raw and cheap, Côte d’Ivoire is making a bold break from the script on cocoa. With the launch of its new $233 million cocoa grinding factory in Abidjan, the world’s largest cocoa producer is not just processing beans—it’s processing a new economic vision. This isn’t merely about chocolate; it’s about power, equity, and Africa’s right to profit from what it produces. The bitter truth behind sweet profits For decades, the global chocolate industry has thrived on the backs of African farmers. Côte d’Ivoire produces nearly half of the world’s cocoa, yet…
Dans un monde où l’Afrique exporte trop souvent ses richesses à l’état brut, à bas prix, la Côte d’Ivoire vient de briser ce cycle avec audace. L’inauguration d’une usine de transformation du cacao de 130 milliards FCFA (environ 233 millions de dollars) à Abidjan n’est pas qu’un projet industriel. C’est une déclaration d’indépendance économique. La Côte d’Ivoire ne veut plus être le grenier de matières premières du monde, mais un acteur de poids dans la chaîne de valeur mondiale du chocolat. La face amère du chocolat mondial La Côte d’Ivoire produit près de la moitié du cacao mondial, mais elle…
The Nigeria Media Innovation Programme (NAMIP), and The Daily Trust Foundation have put together a conference on Media Sustainability with the theme “Future-Proofing Nigeria’s Journalism Media – A Sustainability Dynamic.” The two-day event, scheduled to hold in Abuja on July 30 and 31, 2025, will bring together media entrepreneurs, editors, technologists, policymakers, media investors, philanthropic partners, and stakeholders from across the media ecosystem in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. The conference will present an opportunity for participants to engage in critical conversations around media viability, revenue models that are profitable, diverse media innovations that attract audiences, and the future…
In a world still grappling with gender inequality, Namibia has done something extraordinary. It hasn’t just talked about empowering women—it’s done it. For the first time in history, a single country—Namibia—has women occupying the top three seats of power: President, Vice President, and Speaker of Parliament. In a quiet but powerful revolution, these women are not only running a country; they’re rewriting the script of leadership across Africa. Meet President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah—a freedom fighter turned stateswoman whose decades of public service have now taken her to the very top. Beside her is Vice President Lucia Witbooi, a former educator known…
The West African Association for Cross-Border Trade in Food, Agricultural, Livestock, Forestry and Fisheries Products (WACTAH) is organizing a training workshop on the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) from July 10 to 11, 2025, in Lomé, Togo.www.ecowas.int The workshop, which will host around fifty participants mainly from Togo, is part of the implementation of the ECOWAS Agricultural Trade Programme (EAT), funded by German Cooperation through GIZ, with WACTAH as an implementing partner. The workshop aims to help professional organizations better understand the ETLS, master its procedures, and fully benefit from the opportunities it offers. The objective of the training is…
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has raised alarm over the growing threat that climate change, particularly extreme heat, poses to older persons around the world. In its newly released Frontiers 2025 Report, UNEP warns that rising temperatures and worsening environmental conditions are putting older adults at significantly greater risk. Titled “The Weight of Time – Facing a New Age of Challenges for People and Ecosystems,” the 7th edition of the Frontiers Report highlights emerging environmental threats, including heatwaves, melting glaciers, ancient pathogens, and flood-triggered chemical contamination. The report is part of UNEP’s Foresight Trajectory initiative and follows past warnings…
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released new global clinical guidelines to aid healthcare providers in diagnosing and managing arboviral diseases, including dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever. This marks the first time WHO is issuing a unified set of recommendations covering all four mosquito-borne illnesses, which are increasingly becoming a global health concern. According to WHO, more than 5.6 billion people are now at risk due to the expanding range of Aedes mosquitoes — the primary carriers of these viruses — driven by climate change, urbanization, increased travel, and population growth. “These diseases are no longer confined to tropical…
Journalists from across West Africa and the Sahel have come together to form a new network aimed at promoting agrosylvopastoral and fisheries products in the region. The Network of Journalists for the Promotion of Agrosylvopastoral Products in West Africa and the Sahel (ReJPAH-AOS) was officially launched during a Constitutive General Assembly held on July 3 and 4 at the Concorde Hotel in Lomé, Togo. Supported by the West African Association for Cross-Border Trade in Agro-Sylvo-Pastoral and Fisheries Products (AOCTAH), the initiative seeks to strengthen regional agricultural systems, boost cross-border trade, and improve the visibility of grassroots stakeholders through targeted, inclusive,…
The Enactus team from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has clinched a €1,500 prize after emerging second place in the 2025 edition of the Schneider Battery Innovation Challenge held in Lagos. The keenly contested event, themed ‘Schneider Battery Innovation Challenge 2.0’, took place at the Civic Centre, Lekki, on July 2, 2025, attracting top university teams showcasing cutting-edge solutions in battery technology. The ABU team’s winning entry, Cell Metrix, is an advanced battery management system that integrates artificial intelligence to predict battery failures and downtimes. The modular system also takes proactive measures to prevent such failures, effectively increasing battery lifespan,…