Category: Sports

Addis Ababa: The government of Ethiopia has been implementing various homegrown initiatives with a view to mitigate the impacts of climate change and ensure food security of the people, Minister of Agriculture Girma Amente remarked.

The minister made the remark at the opening of High-Level Side Event on the margins of the 14th Session of the African Risk Capacity Conference of Parties in Addis Ababa.

The High-Level Panel aims to convene a diverse array of stakeholders, including policymakers, executives and representatives and experts of continental institutions to share lessons, build on existing strengths, and address the multifaceted challenges that the African food system faces.

The meeting will also addresses the interlinkages between climate change and food systems for food security, and resilience in Africa by fostering dialogue and knowledge exchange on climate-smart agricultural practices, technologies, and policies as well as resilience building efforts that enhance food security while mitigating
climate change impacts.

Attempting to identify Africa’s major opportunities and challenges in implementing climate-smart solutions and resilience building efforts at national, regional, and continental levels is also the other objetive.

Ethiopia’s Agriculture Minister Girma Amente said on the occasion that despite Africa is endowed with immense resources vital to ensuring food security; the continent has still been suffering from the harsh impacts of natural and manmade disasters.

However, he said Ethiopia is exerting efforts in order to alleviate the negative impacts of climate change and ensure food security in the country by implementing various homegrown development initiatives.

The minister mentioned the ongoing Green Legacy Initiative which has so far enabled the nation plant more than 32.5 billion tree seedlings stating that the objective is to reach 50 billion at the end of 2026.

The initiative is playing critical role in increasing the forest coverage of the country, he added.

The Minister has
also shared Ethiopia’s success registered in wheat development program that was initiated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed pointing out the national wheat irrigation development currently underway on 3 million hectares of land across the country.

Girma said Ethiopia is sharing its success being registered in wheat development to other African countries.

Ethiopia has also been implementing National Food System Roadmap with view to successfully achieve efforts being carried out to ensure food security, the minister stated.

He called on African nations to strengthen cooperation in order to fight the impacts of climate change and food insecurity.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Addis Ababa: Africa is making progress in 12 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but the current pace of progress is insufficient to achieve the goals by 2030, according to an experts report on the progress on Africa Sustainable Development.

The report launched ahead of the 10th Session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia indicates that progress on the SDG agendas varies across sub-regions.

The report was produced by a team of experts convened by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in collaboration with African Union Commission, the United Nations Development Programme Regional Bureau for Africa (UNDP-RBA), and the African Development Bank (AfDB).

On the occasion, the Deputy Executive Secretary for Programme Support at the ECA, Antonio Pedro underlined the lack of robust data as a major hurdle in tracking progress accurately. Improving data systems to effectively monitor and achieve the SDGs is essential, he stressed.

‘Addressin
g wide-ranging challenges-including social, political, environmental, and economic-is essential; specific focus areas like women’s empowerment, peacebuilding, and security need targeted attention,’ said Pedro, stressing the need to take advantage of technological advances, including artificial intelligence, to target interventions and achieve the SDGs with greater efficiency.

He said there is need to foster domestic resource mobilization through evolving a better and innovative tax system. Countries need to improve institutional governance, strengthen data collection, analysis and reporting and devise better strategies for debt restructuring.

Africa still accounts for over half (54.8 Percent) of global poverty. Particular attention therefore needs to be paid to addressing child poverty – the number of children living in extremely poor households, as about 7 out of 10 poor children live in Africa. In addition, lack of access to clean water, sanitation, energy, health, and education services coupled with ineq
uality, infrastructure gaps, climate change, ethnic conflicts and limited employment opportunities are among the key drivers of poverty in Africa.

On climate financing, the progress report shows the high climate financing gap in Africa. A large chunk of these resources emanates from public sector compared to private sector climate financing.

‘Issues of policies on carbon market, debt for climate swaps, and carbon tax on natural resources, as well as the establishment of national sustainable financial framework for climate change should be addressed,’ says the report.

The surge in debt across African countries is impeding Africa’s development, as debt servicing costs crowd out resources for social spending.

There has also been limited donor support for capacity building; on average, African countries spend a trivial 0.5 percent of GDP on science, technology, and innovation.

To bridge the gap and ensure that the continent achieves the SDG goals by 2030, the report recommends investing in data and capacity,
integrating different data sources, developing new and alternate indicators, identifying new partners with tools and solutions such as the private sector, NGOs/CSO and academia.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Addis Ababa: The Great Ethiopian Run 2023, held in the vibrant capital of Addis Ababa on November 19, 2023, drawing over 45,000 participants, was a beacon of athletic excellence, economic empowerment, and international camaraderie, legendary World athletics figures and an ambassador stated.

Sunday’s race, which attracted participants from several countries and international institutions, garnered praise from prominent figures in the world of sports and diplomacy, highlighting its multifaceted impact on Ethiopia and beyond.

Ethiopian athletics legend Haile Gebreselasie hailed the Great Ethiopian Run which attracts people from all walks of life as a crucial catalyst for the growth and development of athletics and the economy in Ethiopia.

According to him, many Ethiopians, embassies, NGOs, and people from other international institutions participated in the race.

“The event attracts investment for our country. When over 45,000 people run here, it shows how Ethiopia is capable to organizing such a race in Add
is Ababa and also attracts foreigners to run or visit as tourists,” Haile said.

“But I see its importance more in relation to the athletes. We will use the race to develop our athletics,’ he underscored.

Thus, the Great Ethiopian Run is a lifeline for athletics, tourism, investment, and the economy in Ethiopia, he stressed.

Haile believes the Great Ethiopian Run in collaboration with government institutions have the capabilities to organize world-class athletics events.

“We are perfect organizers. We can host global athletics events.”

British TV commentator on athletics Tim Hutchings, impressed by the professional organization and scale of the event, echoed Haile’s sentiments on its importance to athletics in the country and beyond.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Professor Peter Twumasi has been dismissed as the Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA).

Mr. Dodzie Numekevor has been appointed acting Director General of the NSA in an appointment letter signed by Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante.

Prof. Twumasi assumed the role of Director General of the Authority in December 2018, when he replaced Robert Sarfo Mensah, who resigned after the ‘Number 12’ documentary by Anas Aremeyaw Anas.

Throughout his tenure, Prof. Twumasi has been involved in a series of controversies, especially giving out the stadiums for music concerts, which sparked outrage in the football circles.

Prof. Twumasi’s ambitions of securing a parliamentary candidate spot for the New Patriotic Party in the Ahafo Ano South West constituency were dealt a huge blow when he polled seven votes.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Two first half goals were enough to aid ASEC Mimosas to lift the 2024 President Cup at the expense of Asante Kotoko at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi.

Despite playing in a packed stadium, Kotoko failed to glitter and succumbed to a 2:1 defeat to a dominant side with abundant quality.

In attendance were President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Ivorian President, Alassane Ouattara who is in the country to join Ghana mark its 67th Independence Anniversary on Wednesday.

It was a dominant display by the Ivorians who hit the ground running, dominating the early exchanges as they kept Kotoko in their own half.

They played with so much confidence to the admiration of the fans, leaving Kotoko with the unpleasant duty of chasing the ball for most part of the first 15 minutes.

Their dominance paid off on the 16th when Alphonse Yao Kouame scored a spectacular goal to crown their near perfect start.

Kouame received the ball in the middle of the pitch, took a solo run towards the Kotoko goal area, before unleashing
a long drive beyond Frederick Asare from 30 yards.

The opener did not alter the pattern of play as the visitors continued to dictate the pace of the game despite Kotoko’s intermittent threats.

Arthur Bada doubled the lead for ASEC from the spot on the 27th minute after Justice Blay handled the ball during a goalmouth melee.

After conceding the second goal, Asante Kotoko lifted their performance in an attempt to reduce the deficit before the end of the first, but their efforts yielded little results as they went into the break two goals behind the Ivoirians.

Coach Prosper Nartey Ogum introduced Nicholas Mensah in place of Baba Yahaya just before the restart, but his inclusion did not make any significant difference as the Ivoirians continued to exert their authority over their hosts.

As the match progressed, Kotoko injected some urgency into their play as they raced against time to redeem themselves as the home team.

With their two goals advantage, ASEC Mimosas slowed the tempo of the game obviously to f
rustrate their opponents who were in desperate need for goals.

Their strategy worked for some time but the Porcupines managed to pull one back from the spot through Steve Dese Mukwala.

The Ugandan import made a blistering run from the left into the box and was on the verge unleashing a shot when a defender brought him down.

With a chance of pulling parity in sight, Kotoko raided the visitor’s goal area in the last five minutes with incessant attacks, but it was to late for them to come to the party as the visitors stood firm to repel all the threats.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Addis Ababa: Adwa Victory Memorial erected in Addis Ababa signifies the contribution that Ethiopia has pioneered to Pan-Africanist movement, according to World Black People Center.

President of the Global Black Center, based in Addis Ababa, Tsagaye Chama recalled that historians describe the victory of Adwa as a new departure for changing the old narratives and laying foundation for anti-clonial movement of the black people around the world.

The victory of Adwa is a legacy that transcends time for Ethiopia, awakening the Pan-African movement and emancipation of all black people across the world, Tsagaye said.

He added the establishment of Adwa Victory Memorial in Addis Ababa has immense contribution serving as hub for history, heritage, and education of the global black people.

According to him, the victory memorial attests Ethiopia’s leading role in the movement of Pan-Africanism.

Ethiopia’s impetus for Pan-Africanism, inspired by the victory of Adwa, was realized not by words but practice, he noted.

T
he president also said that Ethiopia is a spirit, captivating all black people throughout the world and added that the Adwa Victory Memorial will unlock further opportunities for Pan-Africans and black people.

The erection of the Adwa Victory Memorial aligns with the center’s objectives, providing an opportunity for collaboration, he said.

The Global Black History, Heritage and Education Center plays an important role in documenting the history of black people, preserving heritages and forging unity and solidarity among black people as well as establish a museum of pan-Africanism by collecting African artifacts scattered across the globe

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Addis Ababa: Ethiopia’s diplomatic efforts have been bearing fruits under the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, despite the erratic regional and global phenomenon, Ethiopian Ambassador to Tanzania told ENA.

Ethiopia’s Special Envoy and Plenipotentiary to Tanzania, Ambassador Shibru Mamo said the recent diplomatic moves of Ethiopia are responses to the overdue political and economic aspirations of the country.

According to him, Ethiopia’s membership in the BRICS is one of these historical millstones in the country’s modern diplomacy.

Its membership in the BRICS has undoubtedly proved the critical role of Ethiopia in the global arena, the ambassador noted.

‘Initially, many countries had applied to become BRICS members. But we were invited to join this block due to our influence. Ethiopia pursues a progressive diplomatic approach, and tremendous activities are being carried out to safeguard the sustainable interests of our country. To this end, Ethiopia’s diplomacy has been growing from time to time.’

The ambassador believes that most importantly Ethiopia has a leadership that understands the international diplomatic and political dynamics.

This approach has resulted in paramount diplomatic triumphs for Ethiopia.

In his address to the 14th regular session of the House of People’s Representatives (HPR), Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed noted that Ethiopia will strive for the common good of all countries and joined BRICS to cooperate with both the West and the East. It is not a matter of alienating one or making favour to others.

Ambassador Shibru pointed out that Ethiopia’s major achievements have been recorded in various sectors to protect its interests.

‘It is a public knowledge that there was a tremendous and unwarranted foreign influence against us during the last years. There have also been some security challenges here and there at home. But bringing economic development, becoming a member of BRICS, and the ongoing diplomatic endeavors to have seaport on the Red Sea were really laudable.’

Ambassador Shi
bru further mentioned the awarding of the Agricola Medal, a prestigious United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) prize, to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, adding that ‘this is a global recognition for the wheat production revolution in Ethiopia’

Source: Ethiopian News Agency