President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has sent a message of congratulations to President Prithvirajsing Roopun of Mauritius on the occasion of his country’s Independence Day.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, also sent similar messages to President Roopun and Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth on the occasion.
The Black Stars defender made a significant impact coming off the bench in the week 28 fixture at the American Express Stadium.
Lamptey entered the game in the 60th minute, replacing Ansu Fati, and played a crucial role in securing the win. The lone goal came from an own goal by Andrew Omobamidele, earning Brighton three valuable points in the Sunday afternoon encounter.
Expressing his joy on Instagram, Lamptey wrote, “Good win today, thanks for the support as always.” The 23-year-old has made 13 appearances this season, contributing three assists to Brighton’s campaign.
With this victory, Brighton now sits in eighth place on the Premier League table with 42 points after 28 games. The team continues to showcase its competitive spirit as they aim for a strong finish in the league.
The Kumasi-based club suffered back-to-back away defeats since the resumption of the Ghana Premier League as their title ambitions slowly slipped away.
However, Blay is calling on fans of the club to remain patient, insisting the game against the Lions is a must-win for the team.
“Although we have disappointed our supporters by not getting the wins or the needed results in the away games as we did in the first round, that’s how football is. We all know that we had a slow start in the first round, but we were able to make amends and turn things around, and we almost went 10 games unbeaten, so it’s never too late for us,” he told the club’s media.
“I will also urge our supporters to keep calm. The game against Accra Lions is our focus now; it’s a must-win game because we know points build up and our position on the league log. We will not go three games without a victory,” he added.
Accra Lions travel to Kumasi after thumping Berekum Chelsea 5-0 in Sogakope.
The world is moving forward, and tech is the driver in the seat. Are our youth being trained to be future-ready?
The inevitable shift: Job disruption in numbers
As technology continues its relentless advance, the spectre of job disruption looms large.
A 2020 report from McKinsey & Company suggests that up to 375 million workers worldwide may have to switch occupations by 2030 due to automation.
These statistics while staggering could be a challenge or an opportunity. It all depends on where you stand. The question then becomes not if jobs will be affected, but how individuals can proactively adapt to this impending change.
Let me tell you about a story that did the rounds, about a guy named Alex.
One Friday night, Alex and a bunch of friends decided it would be nice to have some Kelewele. So, they went to a popular spot in Labone. Long story short, they discovered that his CV was the wrapping paper for the spicy Kelewele they had thoroughly enjoyed.
They did not let him live it down, nicknaming him Kelewele, a name they probably still call him in jest to this day.
But as we smile at this, the underlying truth hits close to home. Alex’s CV failed to mirror the skills required to clinch the opportunity presented to him.
It’s a wake-up call wrapped in laughter, a reminder of the fate of people who fail to adapt to the demands of the present and the future. We face a digital transformation that is not waiting for anyone. If you don’t evolve, your CV will sell Kelewele and Khebab.
Where Africa stands
The world increasingly requires a digital workforce equipped with the skills to navigate the complexities of the modern economy; Africa stands poised to meet this demand.
The continent boasts of a youth population with approximately 60% of its people under the age of 25, presenting a unique advantage of a workforce primed for the digital age.
By leveraging mobile telephony and digital platforms, Africa can leapfrog traditional developmental stages propel itself into a future driven by technology and innovation, and position itself as a global leader.
The African Leapfrog Index ranks six countries based on their digital economic ecosystems. Kenya and South Africa are leading the pack, followed closely by Nigeria, Egypt, Rwanda and Ethiopia.
Africa has the potential to not only catch up with the rest of the world but to lead the way in shaping the digital landscape of tomorrow.
But despite the continent’s vast potential, the index emphasises that there’s still so much of it left to tap.
ALX: A strategic response to unprecedented change
Right now, providing individuals with the leverage needed to stand out in the future world of work demands more than conventional expertise.
Africa’s leading tech training provider offers a dynamic approach to equip Africans with leadership and technological knowledge, providing them with a distinct advantage in the evolving job market.
By 2030, ALX aims to shape and uplift the careers of three million ethical and entrepreneurial African leaders.
With operations continent-wide, particularly in key countries like Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, and Egypt, their partnership with the MasterCard Foundation allows sponsored placements to young Africans aged 18-34.
So far, the tech training provider has trained and helped thousands of Africans start rewarding careers. Yousef Ayele graduated from the ALX Software Engineering programme in 2022. He now works as a project control officer for a New York-based tech start-up and is well on his way to starting his own fintech company. In his own words, “With no prior experience, I was still able to find success.”
Backed by ALX’s top-notch tech training and 85% high employability rate, there are many others like Yousef who started out as novices and now, have found work in blue-chip companies, scaling corporate ladders and earning in hard currencies.
Get the X factor to get ahead
There’s the 5–12-month tech programmes complete with courses such as Data Analytics, Data Science, Front-end Web Development, Back-end Web Development, Salesforce Administration, AWS Cloud Computing & more.
Professionals aspiring to maximize their value could enrol in the six-week, fully funded, 100% AI Career Essentials programme.
However, being a learner and finishing at ALX is not just the end of the matter. It comes with exclusive benefits including credit cards, access to scholarships, special discounts, and travel experiences. You gain access to a vibrant supportive community that enables you to go further with lifelong learning opportunities, and additional perks to accelerate your career.
From learning from highly qualified, fully-vetted instructors with extensive industry experience to receiving expert-led mentorship and support whenever, wherever.
The statistics are stark. The challenge is real.
Africans will not be left behind.
The time to act is now.
Visit the ALX website at https://tech.alxafrica.com/ghana Search ALX Ghana online to apply for a course and get the X factor to get ahead. Your journey towards a tech-enabled future starts here.
The Orange Basin – extending South Africa and Namibia – has emerged a highly lucrative offshore play owing to a string of high-profile oil and gas discoveries made by global energy majors and independents in recent years. Following exploratory success on the Namibian side of the basin between 2022 and 2024, players are turning to the South African waters. Ahead of the African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energy conference this November, the African Energy Chamber spoke with Gil Holzman, CEO and President of Eco Atlantic about the company’s activities in the Orange Basin.
AEW: Invest in African Energy is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.
Eco Atlantic – as non-operated partner – and TotalEnergies – as the newly designated operator – have initiated plans to start a drilling campaign on Block 3B/4B in the Orange Basin. What is the current status of exploration activities on the block?
We are excited to be working closely with the government of South Africa and our new partners, TotalEnergies and QatarEnergy, as we start preparations to drill exploration wells on the Block. Block 3B/4B is located in one of the most prolific and exciting hydrocarbon provinces in the world and we have attracted the two largest energy companies in the world who are already in the basin making giant discoveries.
Our ability to explore this block is strengthened by their understanding of the Orange Basin which lies in Namibian offshore waters and multiple multi-billion-barrel discoveries have been made to date – Venus, Graff and Mangetti to name but a few.
Does the company have plans to expand its presence even further in South Africa’s upstream sector?
At present, we continue to focus on developing Block 3B/4B in South Africa, as well as our assets in Guyana and Namibia, which make up our exciting and high-quality exploration asset portfolio stretching across the Atlantic Margins. We will, of course, always consider potentially value accretive opportunities as they arise, for the benefit of our investors.
Eco Atlantic holds four operational licenses in Namibia and is currently seeking farm-out opportunities. What makes investing in Namibia attractive and what is the company’s long-term vision for the market?
Namibia has witnessed some of the largest exploration discoveries in recent years, thanks to small explorers never giving up and better exploration technology allowing the industry to ‘see’ deeper and explore deeper waters and horizons. Namibia is an area that continues to yield excitement and interest, offers very attractive fiscal terms, and is developing supporting infrastructure. So, we expect that there will be much further activity over the course of the year which will support our farm out process.
How is Eco Atlantic leveraging key operational lessons from its activities in Guyana to optimize operations in Namibia, considering the company’s presence in both highly prolific regions?
Eco Atlantic is in a position of strength to learn from these two fantastic countries, both resource rich with adept governments working hard to collaborate with the industry to maximize the benefits of the resource sector. Up until 2022, Namibia had no commercial oil and gas. Yet, with an established Ministry of Mines and Energy and a growing national oil company, they were ready for the oil to flow. Guyana however, got the oil first! Both governments have a lot of lessons to share and learn from each other, Eco Atlantic helped to orchestrate a trip in September for both Natural Resources and Energy Ministers and their delegations to meet in Georgetown and had time for learning workshops.
Given the similarities between operating in countries that hold prolific hydrocarbon basins, both Namibia and Guyana have recently delivered sizable discoveries. Namibia and Guyana are both areas that continue to attract widespread interest from global players and we will continue to use our knowledge, experience and relationships in the regions to deliver material value to our stakeholders.
The AEW: Invest in African Energy conference is scheduled from 4 to 8 November in Cape Town. How does Eco Atlantic anticipate leveraging this event to expand its presence in Africa?
AEW: Invest in African Energy provides Eco Atlantic with the opportunity to share insights and engage with a range of important stakeholder audiences. This great conference also helps us better understand sector trends and map out industry activity, and of course get together in-person with old friends and colleagues in the beautiful setting of Cape Town
How does the event provide independent oil and gas companies with the opportunity to promote their expertise in exploration and production?
Providing a platform for Eco Atlantic to engage with others in the sector is important as it is an opportunity for the company to present its investment case and build anticipation around important milestones. We look forward to seeing everyone in Cape Town on November 4th for a week of networking, education, and fun.
Keep following www.AECWeek.com for more high-level industry insights from the movers and shakers transforming the African energy sector.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
In its continued drive for financial inclusion across Nigerian communities, Africa-focused fintech platform PalmPay (https://www.PalmPay.com/) has unveiled two cost-saving financial products – Unlimited Free Transfer and Target Savings – for users of its app.
With the new financial products, users of the PalmPay app can now enjoy unlimited free transfers to all banks in the country and also customize their savings plan to suit their preferred savings amount, duration and frequency.
Introducing the unlimited free transfer, Managing Director of PalmPay Nigeria, Chika Nwosu, said the fintech company was offering accessible and affordable financial services to its users to perform transactions without worrying about bank charges on transfers to all banks for an initial phase of 3 months.
“We are excited to introduce unlimited free transfers to our users. This aligns with our mission to provide inclusive financial services that meet the needs of our diverse user base. We believe that everyone should have access to affordable financial services, and this update is a significant step towards that goal,” Mr Nwosu said.
We believe that everyone should have access to affordable financial services, and this update is a significant step towards that goal
By removing transfer fees to all banks and fintech platforms on its app, PalmPay has now empowered its millions of customers to enjoy endless fund transfers to family and friends, pay their bills seamlessly, and manage their finances more effectively.
The PalmPay Target Savings allows users of the fintech app to create their savings goals, and customize their preferred savings duration and frequency. The system will automatically save for you based on your set frequency and amount.
Once the user has attained their goals, reached their savings target date and has achieved their set savings amount, they earn an attractive interest rate of 12% Per Annum (P.A) for their savings discipline on the amount they’ve been able to save.
PalmPay is a leading Africa-focused fintech platform committed to driving economic empowerment in Africa by offering top-tier financial services like money transfers, bill payments, credit services, and savings on its app and mobile money agents.
PalmPay has its footprint in Ghana where it operates with an enhanced payment service providers (EPSP) license, offering merchant acquiring solutions (All-in-one payment solutions for business), and also operates in Tanzania as a payment system provider, with plans to grow its multi-country and cross-border presence.
With a transaction success rate of 99.9%, PalmPay users are able to send and receive money seamlessly, pay bills effortlessly, shop with ease and earn discounts and cashback while performing these transactions.
Edwards initially joined Liverpool as their chief analyst in November 2011 and went on to become their sporting director between November 2016 and June 2022. The 44-year-old did an exceptional job while in charge of Liverpool’s negotiations and signings. He transformed the squad at Jurgen Klopp’s disposal by landing top players such as Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson, and Alisson.
Edwards also helped the Reds make good money on players they did not intend to use, such as Rhian Brewster, Dominic Solanke, and Danny Ward.
However, Edwards decided to leave Anfield at the end of the 2021-22 campaign, which threw the sporting director job into turmoil. His assistant, Julian Ward, left the job in the summer of 2023 after just a year, while Jorg Schmadtke departed at the end of the January transfer window.
It recently emerged that Liverpool are hoping to bring Edwards back to Anfield to help them ensure the post-Klopp era is successful.
Last week, David Ornstein revealed that the Southampton-born chief does not want to return as Liverpool’s sporting director, as he instead wants a higher role.
The frightening XI Liverpool could select if Ruben Amorim takes charge in the Anfield dugout
Ornstein added that if Edwards does re-join the Reds, he will look to appoint Bournemouth guru RichardHughes as the new sporting director below him.
Liverpool were handed a boost on Wednesday as Hughes confirmed that he will be leaving Bournemouth at the end of the season.
Liverpool ‘closing in’ on Bournemouth guru
As per Football Insider, Liverpool have immediately opened discussions with Hughes and are now ‘closing in’ on his capture. Talks between the two parties are ‘well down the line’, which means it may not be long before Liverpool fill the sporting director position for good.
Newcastle United want the Scot to replace Dan Ashworth, who is bound for Manchester United. Roma are also interested in Hughes, as he can speak several languages including Italian.
But Liverpool are now poised to win the race for Hughes, who played for the likes of Bournemouth and Portsmouth before hanging up his boots in 2014.
Fabrizio Romano has also provided an update on Liverpool’s plans. He states that they are in a ‘final round of talks’ to try and convince Edwards to return.
Edwards has previously shown hesitancy about going back, as he is an extremely ambitious person who loves a new challenge. But Liverpool are ‘still pushing’ to strike an agreement, as they know just how good he can be in re-shaping a squad.
Romano adds that Hughes is a ‘strong candidate’ to work under Edwards as part of the prospective new Liverpool board.
Man City and Arsenal will have been delighted when Klopp revealed that he will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season. After all, the German has been integral to Liverpool being able to challenge those two clubs for Premier League titles, particularly City.
But with Edwards and Hughes at Anfield, Liverpool stand a much better chance of appointing the right manager and also continuing their huge success even after Klopp departs.
The Sunyani Technical University (STU) has admitted 3,362 fresh students to pursue various diploma and degree programmes for the 2023/2024 academic year.
According to Professor Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah, the Vice Chancellor (VC), the university issued admission letters to a total of 5,704 prospective students. Freshers for the academic year showed an increase of 14.0 percent over last year’s figure of 2,949 students.
Addressing the 28th matriculation ceremony of the university at its main campus in Sunyani on Friday, the VC said 2,252 of the fresh students, representing 67.0 percent were male whilst 1,110 representing 33 percent were females.
In terms of disciplines, 2,833, representing 84.3 percent enrolled on science, technology, engineering and TVET-based programmes as against 529, constituting 15.7 percent for Business and Administration.
That, Prof Adinkrah-Appiah explained, was in line with the university’s mandate as a Technical University and attributed the significant rise in the student enrolment for the academic year to several factors, including the good performance of students in the world of work, as well as advertisements.
He said the introduction of new Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes was another key factor that had contributed to the increase in student enrolment, saying the university was undertaking a more intensive enrolment drive to continuously improve its annual enrolment into new and existing academic programmes.
“When patronage of such industry-driven programmes is improved, it would help produce more skilled graduates who can readily find employment or set up their businesses to reduce the existing high spate of youth unemployment facing our country in recent times,” Prof Adinkrah-Appiah stated.
The university currently runs the following programmes under GTEC accreditation: nine Master of Technology (MTech), 26 Bachelor’s programmes (BTech. and BSc. Programmes), 23 Higher National Diploma (HND), five Diploma and eight other non-tertiary programmes.
Prof Adinkrah-Appiah said all was set for the university to start apprenticeship programmes under Phase IV of the Ghana TVET Voucher Project (GTVP) under the auspices of KFW, indicating that 100 Mastercraft Persons (MCPs) from various Trade Associations had already been registered to commence the training as an initial step for training of all Apprentices under these MCPs.
He urged all prospective students, both local and foreign, to take advantage of enrolling on these innovative and industry-driven programmes to acquire the requisite knowledge and technical and professional skills that would make them readily employable to avoid the “temptation of joining the so-called Unemployed Graduates Association in Ghana after going through some other programmes which are more susceptible to joblessness.”
The University is also making efforts to introduce several tailor-made micro-credentialled Programmes (Short Courses) for industry practitioners within and around the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo regions, which would eventually lead to full degree certifications.
“Establishments such as Newmont Ghana Gold-Ahafo Mine, VRA, and the Ghana Water Company within the three regions are informed to take advantage of these programmes at the Sunyani Technical University to provide life-long learning opportunities for their esteemed staff,” Prof Adinkrah-Appiah said.
Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, Finance Minister, has extolled the late Dr John Ampontuah Kumah, a Deputy Finance Minister, for his selfless dedication to Ghana’s economic development. The lawmaker and entrepreneur, died at the age of 45, married to Apostle Lilian Kumah, and was survived by six children.
“Kumah exemplified unwavering dedication and commitment to the cause of fiscal responsibility, economic empowerment for the youth, entrepreneurship, and service,” Dr Amin Adam said in a tribute to Dr Kumah. “His legacy of selfless service and commitment to the people of Ejisu, exemplary leadership at the Ministry of Finance, and steadfast commitment to the economic development of our beloved nation will stand as an enduring memorial to his name,” he added.
Describing him as a “dear colleague, friend, and brother,” the Finance Minister said he was deeply saddened by his passing, saying, his death had “left a profound void in the hearts of all of us who worked with him at the Ministry of Finance.”
He praised him for his passion and tireless work towards the advancement of the Ghanaian youth for economic development, culminating in his position as the first Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP).
“He was a valued and cherished colleague whose humility, selflessness, and kind and gentle nature, left a deep impression and endeared him to all. Rest well, my Honourable brother. We will miss you,” Dr Amin Adam said.
On behalf of the Ministry of Finance, he expressed his deepest condolences to Dr Kumah’s wife, children, extended family, friends, colleagues, and the people of the Ejisu constituency.
Until his death on Thursday, March 7, Dr Kumah had served as a Deputy Finance Minister from 2021, and was on Parliament’s Employment, Social Welfare and State Enterprises and Appointment Committees. Before working for the government, Dr Kumah was the founding member and Managing Partner of Aduaprokye Chambers, a law firm.
Under his leadership at NEIP, some 7,000 start-ups in 2018 under the Presidential Business Support programme received training, while about 1,350 beneficiaries also had funding support.
Before assuming a government role, Dr Kumah worked as a Managing Partner of the Aduaprokye Chambers – a law firm and established Majak Associates Ltd – a building and construction company.
He had a Doctorate in Business Innovation from the Swiss Business School, Switzerland, a Master’s degree in Applied Business Research, and an Executive Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA).
At the University of Ghana, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics with Philosophy and Law, and following his professional Law Certificate from the Ghana School of Law in 2013, he was called to the Ghana Bar in 2013.
Parliament Thursday officially confirmed the death of Dr John Ampontuah Kumah, a New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for Ejisu.
A post sighted by the Ghana News Agency on the X handle of Parliament, formerly Twitter, read: “Parliament of Ghana is sad to announce the death of Hon. John Kumah, who was a Member of Parliament for Ejisu Constituency until his sudden demise today, 7th March 2024.” “May his Soul Rest In Peace #GhParliament.” Reports say the 45-year-old MP died after a short illness. He left behind a wife and six children.
Dr Kumah, popularly called Lawyer John Kumah at Ejisu in the Ashanti Region, was described by his constituents as a man of integrity with a focus on job creation and inspires hope for the future in both the young and old.
He was the founding Managing Director of Majak Associates Ltd, a building and construction firm with footprint construction projects all over Ghana.
Upon becoming a lawyer, he founded the Aduaprokye Chambers and was the Managing Partner of the law firm, until the President appointed him as CEO of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) in 2017.
At the helm of NEIP, he oversaw the training of 45,000 start-ups in three years, under the Presidential Business Support Programme, and supported 10,000 beneficiaries, leading to the creation of numerous jobs for the youth all over the country.
He has over 17 years of continuous working and leadership experience, which exhibits his creativity, innovation and resourcefulness in creating jobs, promoting entrepreneurship, and supporting youth development.
He was adjudged the most Efficient, Prominent Government Appointee in 2018 and was listed among President Akufo Addo’s top 20 Most Humble and Respectful Appointees in 2019. As a loyal member of the NPP, he worked for the party from the grassroots since 1992.
He was the founding father of the Young Patriots, a youth political activism and pressure group of NPP. He was a member of the Communication Team of the NPP.
In fulfilment of promises made to his constituents in Ejisu, he successfully solicited and secured substantial funding to execute several infrastructure and job creation projects in the constituency.
