The Asian Development Bank has approved a loan of CNY1,013.56 million (about $142.25 million) to strengthen climate resilience and protect biodiversity in the coastal cities of Fuzhou and Yunxiao in Fujian Province, People’s Republic of China. The Fujian Coastal Cities Climate-Resilient Development and Biodiversity Conservation Project will benefit 4.4 million residents by reducing flood risks… [Read More]
Meghalaya Secures $77 Million ADB Loan to Strengthen Ecotourism and Climate-Resilient Livelihoods
The Asian Development Bank has approved a $77 million loan to support ecotourism and natural farming in Meghalaya, India, with the goal of creating sustainable livelihoods and strengthening environmental resilience. The Integrated Ecotourism and Sustainable Agri-Based Livelihood Development in Meghalaya Project will combine nature-based tourism with climate-smart agriculture and forest conservation to benefit more than… [Read More]
African Development Fund Grants Extra $28 Million to Strengthen Benin’s Private Sector
The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund has approved an additional $28 million in financing for Benin to advance the Economic Governance and Private Sector Development Support Programme (PAGE-DSP). This new funding, approved on 24 November 2025, follows the successful completion of phases I and II in 2023 and 2024. Its overall goal… [Read More]
Nigeria Secures $500 Million AfDB Loan to Boost Governance Reforms and Clean Energy Shift
The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group has approved a $500 million loan to the Government of Nigeria to finance the second phase of the Economic Governance and Energy Transition Support Programme, covering fiscal years 2024 and 2025. This phase builds on earlier progress and aims to advance economic reforms while supporting… [Read More]
African Development Bank Unveils Strategy to Strengthen Somalia’s Infrastructure and Build a Resilient Economy
A farmer harvesting melons in Somalia’s drought-prone fields reflects the tangible progress made through initiatives like the Drought Resilience and Sustainable Livelihoods Programme. Her success demonstrates what becomes possible when communities gain access to water and productive resources, and it symbolizes Somalia’s broader transition marked by improved security, deeper political engagement, and renewed reform efforts…. [Read More]
Côte d’Ivoire Secures €39 Million AfDB Funding to Strengthen Governance and Revenue Mobilisation
Côte d’Ivoire will receive new support from the African Development Bank Group to strengthen governance and advance more inclusive and resilient economic growth. The Bank’s Board of Directors has approved financing aimed at helping the country deepen reforms that enhance transparency, improve public resource management, and ensure that national development benefits all Ivorians. During its… [Read More]
Egypt: Amnesty Demands End to Crackdown on Civil Society Groups
Egyptian authorities are being urged to amend the restrictive 2019 associations law to lift tight controls over independent civil society organizations (NGOs), which are severely undermining the right to freedom of association and threatening the country’s civic space, Amnesty International stated in a new briefing. The report, “Whatever security says must be done”: Independent NGOs’… [Read More]
Tunisia: Civil Society Under Threat as Human Rights Defenders Convicted
The Tunis Court of First Instance in Tunisia convicted human rights defenders Mustapha Djemali and Abderrazek Krimi but released them after they had already spent over 18 months in arbitrary detention. Their prolonged detention and subsequent conviction sparked outrage, as both had been carrying out humanitarian work with the Tunisian Council for Refugees (CTR), providing… [Read More]
Education Crisis in Northern Nigeria: Millions of Children at Risk
Amnesty International has raised alarms over the growing threat to education in northern Nigeria, following the indefinite closure of 20,468 schools across seven states after the recent mass abduction of students and teachers in Niger state. This incident underscores a pattern of repeated attacks, including at least 15 documented mass abductions since the Chibok schoolgirls… [Read More]
Women Human Rights Defenders Face Escalating State Repression in Cuba
Amnesty International has called on the Cuban government to end systematic gender-based violence against women human rights defenders, journalists, and activists, launching its new report, “They Want Us Silent, But We Keep Resisting: Authoritarian Practices and State Violence Against Women in Cuba.” The report documents a pattern of state repression targeting women engaged in activism,… [Read More]
How Local Innovators and Mobile Industry Leaders Are Powering Africa’s Digital Health Transformation
The GSMA Mobile for Development team is conducting major research on how the mobile industry can advance digital health across varied economic contexts. October saw active engagement at the Africa HealthTech Summit and MWC Kigali, where digital health was a central theme. A strong message emerging from these events is that Africa’s digital health transformation… [Read More]
Aid Cuts Fuel Rising Hunger Among Displaced Communities in CAR and Cameroon
A convoy carrying returning families arrives in the Central African village of Beloko, marking the end of a long journey home for refugees like Nafissa, who fled violence more than a decade ago. After years in Cameroon, she and thousands of others are choosing to return to the Central African Republic (CAR) as support in… [Read More]
UNAIDS 2025 Report: Overcoming Disruptions to Revive the Global AIDS Response
The 2025 funding crisis has severely disrupted global HIV prevention and community-led services, particularly in vulnerable populations. UNAIDS’ new World AIDS Day report warns that the AIDS response is facing its most serious setback in decades, driven by abrupt reductions in international assistance and weakening global solidarity. External health funding is projected to decline by… [Read More]
New DEC $1 Million Grant Funding Launched to Reduce Air Pollution in EJ Communities
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced $1 million in grant funding for two projects aimed at reducing air pollution in disadvantaged and environmental justice communities. The funding comes from DEC’s Air Pollution Mitigation program and supports ongoing statewide community air monitoring efforts designed to better identify pollution sources and develop reduction strategies… [Read More]
EU-Backed Guarantee: EIB Group and Inecobank Expand Financing for Armenian SMEs
The EIB Group, consisting of the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund, is partnering with Inecobank to expand access to finance for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Armenia. Through the EU4Business Guarantee Facility, backed by the European Commission, the EIB Group will provide a partial portfolio guarantee that is expected to benefit… [Read More]
Sweden Secures €500M EIB Investment to Boost Sandvik’s Mining and Machining Technologies
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has approved a €500 million loan to Sandvik to accelerate research and development in advanced mining, machining, and digital technologies between 2026 and 2029. The investment will support innovations in cutting technologies, tooling systems, battery-electric mining equipment, and automated and digitalised solutions for mining and rock excavation. Most of the… [Read More]
Brazil Signs PAHO Deal to Modernize Vaccines Through Revolving Funds
Brazil’s Ministry of Health has signed a new agreement with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to acquire updated vaccines through PAHO’s Regional Revolving Funds, a pooled procurement system that helps countries secure affordable medical supplies. The signing took place in São Paulo during a meeting of the Health Economic-Industrial Complex, where PAHO highlighted ongoing… [Read More]
African Credit Rating Agency: Why It May Not Benefit Borrowers
The African Union plans to establish an African Credit Rating Agency (AfCRA) in Mauritius next year, citing concerns about perceived anti-African bias from the dominant global rating agencies—Fitch, Moody’s, and Standard & Poor’s. The AU argues that these agencies, with little on-the-ground presence in Africa, evaluate African countries’ creditworthiness in ways that prioritize austerity over… [Read More]
African Workers at Risk: Trade Unions Call for Dedicated Humanitarian Fund
Trade unions across Africa are stepping up to play a more active role in fostering peace, stability, and democratic governance amid rising conflicts and political crises affecting at least 30 countries on the continent. African workers, who often bear the brunt of instability, are now committed to launching coordinated efforts in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and… [Read More]
Global HIV Fight Faces ‘Perilous Risks’ as UNAIDS Reports Funding Shortfalls
The 2025 UNAIDS report, Overcoming Disruption: Transforming the AIDS Response, warns that abrupt funding cuts have created “perilous risks” for the global HIV response, threatening the health and well-being of millions worldwide. Service disruptions have led to deaths among people living with HIV, left millions at high risk without access to prevention tools, and forced… [Read More]
Chui Ventures Closes First Fund to Drive Inclusive Economic Growth Across Africa
Chui Ventures, a Pan-African seed-stage venture capital fund with a gender-inclusive mandate, has successfully closed its debut Fund I at $17.3 million, exceeding its original target of $10 million. The fund supports African founders developing mass-market, tech-enabled solutions across Sub-Saharan Africa, with commitments from foundations, family offices, and over 30 high-net-worth individuals, including the Mastercard… [Read More]
USAID Funding Cuts Spark Conflict Between Lesotho and South African Organisations
The sudden USAID funding cuts earlier this year have created a deep conflict between two southern African organisations, MFDF (Mosepele Foundation Development Forum) and Mothers2Mothers South Africa (M2M), both caught in circumstances beyond their control. MFDF alleges that M2M, the prime implementer of the USAID-funded Bokamoso project, withheld funds, violated regulations, and exerted financial pressure… [Read More]
New Analysis Reveals Attempts to Weaken EU Water Regulations
A new report reveals how influential industry groups in Europe, including those in agriculture, energy, mining, and chemicals, are attempting to weaken the EU’s Water Framework Directive (WFD), which safeguards rivers, lakes, and groundwater from pollution. These sectors are pressuring the European Commission to use the upcoming Environmental “Omnibus” Package to roll back key protections… [Read More]
