Indo Africa Times, a weekly newspaper has its key intend to create extensive awareness amongst people about Africa and India concerning different sectors like economy, politics, culture, fashion, sports and many more. It is our sincere endeavor to bridge the information gap between Africa and India by endowing our readers with updated and latest developments occurring in both the countries.

1. www.indoafricatimes.com
MONDAY | March 31, 2014 Title Code: DELENG18579 • VOL. 1 • NO. 12 • Page 12 • Price `10
pg 07
pg 08
pg 04
pg 02
Continued to page 03
Good Luck for
NIGERIANamibia honours
Nigerian President
P
resident Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has
already written his name in gold in the
archives of Nigerian history.
March 2014 experienced an act of bond and
friendship from the African country, Namibia to Nigeria.
On the occasion of 24th Independence Anniversary of
Namibia, the Prime Minister, H.E. Mr. Hage Geingob honoured the
President of Nigeria, H.E. Dr. Goodluck Jonathan in Windhoek.
PresidentJonathanwasconferredwiththe"OrderofWelwitschia",
Namibia's highest national honour, by his counterpart, President
Hifikepunye Pohamba.
The ordinance took place at the capacity-filled Independence
Stadium, Windhoek and was graced by big personalities like the
founding president and Father of the Namibian nation, Sam Nujoma
together with cabinet ministers, members of the Namibian parliament and
other senior citizens.
During the event, Mr. Pohamba proclaimed that the honour is
giventorecognizetheselflesscontributionsbythegovernment
and the people of Nigeria to Namibia's national liberation
struggle. He added that the contributions were
profoundly embossed in the chronicle of Namibian
history and the country would forever be grateful.
Mr. Pohamba also noted that despite
the geographic distance, Nigeria played a
prominent role along with the frontline states
in supporting the liberation movements
in Southern Africa, including SWAPO of
Namibia.
Mr. Jonathan also paid accolade to the
elder statesman and leading Pan-Africanist,
Nujoma, and all Namibia freedom fighters
for their vision and personal sacrifices
which contributed in the freedom struggle
of Namibia.
The President of Nigeria repeated that
Nigeria and Namibia had come a long way
in bilateral relations, starting from the time
of the struggle against colonialism and
racial domination. He evoked that Nigeria
and Namibia worked side by side, shoulder
to shoulder with faith and commitment in
common destiny.
President Donald
Kaberuka
reiterates his
belief in Africa’s
emergence
See, Feel
And Believe:
GABON
The Pearl
of Africa:
UGANDA
MKU:
EVOLVING
MODERN DAY
WARFARE
Trans-
Kalahari
railway
deal signed
President of Nigeria H.E. Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan

pg 03

2. Wassupafrica02
The Africa CEO Forum 2014,
one of the most important
gatherings of African business
leaders officially opened in Geneva
on March 17.
Organized by the publishing
house Groupe Jeune Afrique in
partnership with the African
Development Bank (AfDB), the
second Africa CEO Forum boasted
“680 participants, speakers and
journalists from more than 38
countries.”
This level of participation is
already a measure of the success
of this year’s Africa CEO Forum,
whose mission is to bring together
economic actors from French-
and English-speaking Africa to
strengthen regional ties, and
promote public-private sector
dialogue with the goal of building
an environment conducive to new
business development. The goal of
the Forum is to further stimulate
African entrepreneurship,
innovation and creativity on the
continent.
Africa CEO Forum 2014:
President Donald Kaberuka
reiterates his belief in
Africa’s emergence
World Bank injects more funds
in roads, agriculture sectors
The opening ceremony, chaired
by Donald Kaberuka, President of
the African Development Bank,
and Amir Ben Yahmed, Managing
Director of Groupe Jeune Afrique
and Chair of the Africa CEO Forum,
recalled the primary purpose of
this major event.
“When there is discussion
around the African economy,
there are so many different
views. I am sure you will hear all
these versions. The reality is that
they all reflect a certain reality,”
President Kaberuka said. “One
thing is certain, though, and on
this there is a broad consensus:
People agree on the imperative of
Africa moving up the regional and
global value chains... We are here
to figure out how to take Africa to
the next stage. From ‘hopeless’, to
‘rising’, to ‘hopeful’ ... The African
Development Bank is proud to
be your partner in this journey.
Together we will take Africa to the
next level.”
Amir Ben Yahmed said, “The
year 2013 was marked by a
16% increase in foreign direct
investment. The IMF is forecasting
global growth of 6.5% for 2014. I
have lost count of the number of
African CEOs who are now part
of the international rankings in
the financial press. However, we
cannot ignore the fact that most of
the emerging countries, which only
a few months ago were considered
the engines of the world economy,
are today transforming into
weak links. So, with this in mind,
we thought we should use this
occasion of the second edition of
the Africa CEO Forum to take a
step back and reflect on ways to
accelerate the transformation of
our continent.
The first day of the Africa CEO
Forum, which featured one plenary
session and two knowledge
sessions devoted to key topics such
as the competitiveness of African
companies and the issue of local
transformation of the continent’s
natural resources, was enriched by
the contributions of several high-
profile speakers from Africa and
the rest of the world.
“We have a current
competitiveness and it will persist
only if Africa continues to wake
up,” said Moulay Hafid Elalamy,
Moroccan Minister of Industry,
Trade, Investment and the Digital
Economy.
“This issue of competitiveness
is critical if we want to continue
and attract foreign investments, to
develop human capital, promote
employment and continue to
develop the middle class and the
local markets that these CEOs
represent,” added Amir Ben
Yahmed.
“Our States must define their
industrial strategies,” said Carlos
Lopes, Executive Secretary of
the United Nations Economic
Commission for Africa (ECA).
Thanks to its rich and
substantive program, composed
of high-level sessions and one-to-
one business meetings, the Africa
CEO Forum 2014 has become the
place to be for all those driving the
continent’s growth.
AfDB
Road infrastructure and
agricultural productivity could
be boosted as the World Bank
approved yet another $60.9
million (about Rwf47 billion) for
the sector.
The funds, agreed upon in
Washington, US, recently, will
help government refurbish roads
and intensify farmers’ agricultural
productivity as part of the strategy
to reduce poverty and enhance
shared prosperity throughout
the country, according to Caroyn
Turk, the Bank’s country manager.
“Today’s financing provides
additional support to the already
existing government’s efforts
to improve and diversify the
country’s agriculture sector and
infrastructure as a key strategy
to fight poverty by ensuring
food security, and improved
healthcare,” Turk said
Some $45m (about Rwf30bn)
will be injected in upgrading
about 270 kilometres of roads in
Karongi, Rwamagana, Gisagara
and Nyamasheke districts in
Western Province, Tesfamichael
Nahusenay Mitiku, the Bank’s
team leader for the Feeder Road
Development Project, said.
“Insufficient all-season road
connectivity has contributed to
high transport costs and created
difficulties for farmers seeking
to improve their agricultural
productivity and incomes,”
Nahusenay said.
Finanance and Economic
Planning minister Claver Gatete
said the funding is in line with
the country’s second Economic
Development and Poverty
Reduction Strategy (EDPRS2)
agenda of promoting rural
development and agriculture
transformation with significant
impact on poverty reduction.
Valens Mwumvaneza, the
Bank’s team leader for Rural Sector
Support Project (RSSP), said $15.9
million (about Rwf10 billion) will
be injected in the third RSSP that
focuses on activities that would
increase and diversify agriculture
production.
This will contribute to
government’s achievements of
EDPRS2 by boosting productivity
for some of the country’s poorest
farmers and benefit about 101,500
farmers by 2018. Recently, World
Bank and government signed
an Rwf47 billion deal for social
protection programmes.
New Times
Government of Rwanda needs to
urgently revise its national strategy
against cancer to ensure more timely
detection and treatment, experts and
activists have said. The call comes
just days after the latest World Health
Organisation’s report indicated that
developing countries are expected to
bear the brunt of a significant increase
in new cancer cases over the next two
decades.
According to WHO 2014 World
Cancer Report, developing countries
in Africa, Asia, as well as Central and
South America account for more than
60 per cent of the world’s new cancer
cases and around 70 per cent of the
world’s cancer deaths.
The report adds that 14 million
new cancer cases were reported
across the world in 2012, with that
figure expected to rise to 22 million
cases by 2032. Cancer deaths are
also projected to go up from 8.2
million a year to 13 million a year.
The reasons given for this ailment
hitting developing countries harder
range from aging populations, to
higher rates of infection-related
cancers, and cancers associated with
industrialised lifestyles.
And it’s only going to get worse
if these regions do not invest more
in screening and prevention. Cancer
rates in developing countries are
“made worse by the lack of early
detection and access to treatment,”
Government urged to scale up
interventions
the report reads in part. Dr. Tharcisse
Mpunga the Medical Director of Butaro
Cancer Centre of Excellence, Northern
Province, called for more commitment
on the side of the government to check
the spread of the disease. “There is
need to revise the national strategic
plan against cancer to cater for new
cases,” Mpunga said.
“We receive an average of about 60
patients per day. This is an indication
that cancer is actually a big concern,”
he added. He cited breast cancer in
women and lymphoma in men as the
commonest cancers in the country.
A study conducted between
2007 and 2013 by RBC indicates that
4,615 people were diagnosed with
different cancers in the country, the
most common being breast cancer,
with 15.8 per cent. Cervical cancer
came close, with 15.6 per cent,
while stomach cancer and uterine
cancer were at nine and 5.5 per cent,
respectively. Mpunga also decried the
shortage of cancer treatment facilities
which makes control of the disease
difficult.
“If only we could acquire at least
one radiotherapy machine for the whole
country, it would be a milestone,” he
said. Mpunga noted that since cancer
treatment is not covered by Mituelle
de Sante (a community based health
insurance scheme), it is increasingly
difficult for the poor to access care.
New Times
Donald Kaberuka, President of
the African Development Bank

MONDAY | March 31, 2014

3. Wassupafrica 03
Trans-Kalahari railway deal signed Tunisia hopes Star Wars will
rescue its tourism
Tunisia is working against the
clock to salvage its 2014 tourist
season after three turbulent years,
by revamping the country’s image -
with the help of online media and a
few Star Wars characters.
“To change a country from one
that is relatively inexpensive to a
top-end tourist destination will take
10 or 15 years,’’ said Amel Karboul,
Tunisia’s new tourism minister.
The North African country hopes
to welcome seven million tourists
this year, a slight increase on the 6.9
million who visited in 2010 before
the revolution that ousted a decades-
old dictatorship and unleashed
outbreaks of Islamist violence that
damaged Tunisia’s reputation.
The number of tourists fell to
just 4.7 million in 2011, and has
only recovered slowly, affecting the
estimated 400,000 people working
in the key sector that accounts for
around seven per cent of Gross
Domestic Product.
To reverse this trend, the
ministry decided to exploit the desert
settings used for many scenes in the
Star Wars films, in a Tunisian version
of the music video hit “Happy’’ by
Pharrell Williams, replicated on
YouTube by people around the world
dancing to the tune. “Happy (We
are from Tatooine),’’ commissioned
by the ministry, features a range of
characters from Star Wars boogying
in and around the city of Tataouine,
including the iconic droids R2-D2
and C-3PO, a stormtrooper and
Darth Vader himself.
The southern desert city gave
its name to the fictional home planet
of Anakin and Luke Skywalker-key
figures in the cult film series. The
“Star Wars Tunisia’’ edition of the
Pharrell Williams video has already
received nearly 1.5 million hits.
“There are fans (of the sci-
fi films) in the United States, in
Scandinavia, in Asia, in South
America, where Tunisia is barely
known,’’ the minister told a group
of journalists last week. “It will raise
awareness of Tunisia,’’ she said of
her strategy to harness social media
as a way of publicising the country.
Conventional advertising
campaigns “are extremely expensive
A railway line connecting
Botswana to the Namibian
Atlantic coast is finally about to be
developed, following the signing
of the agreement between the two
countries last week at Bird Island
near Walvis Bay.
The 1 500 kilometres long
railway line would traverse the
vast semi-arid, sandy savannah of
theKalahariDesertfromBotswana
to Namibia, with the sole benefit
of connecting the land-locked
Botswana to Namibia’s port of
Walvis Bay, thus unlocking the
value of coal mining in Botswana
and power generation in the
region.
The railway line mirrors
the existing Trans-Kalahari
Highway or corridor, which
links Botswana to the port of
Walvis Bay, but stretches 1 900
kilometres from Walvis Bay,
through Windhoek, Gaborone in
Botswana and Johannesburg to
Pretoria in South Africa. The just
signed Trans-Kalahari railway
agreement includes adding a coal
terminal and associated loading
facilities to the Namibia-Botswana
corridor that would benefit other
landlocked Southern African
and you’re not sure of their impact; it’s
very long term. Tunisia has only limited
means,’’ explained Karboul, whose
government has a very short-term
mandate. Appointed in late January to
end months of political uncertainty, it
is due to step down after elections held
by the end of this year.
Already it has had to deal with the
fallout from an incident involving a
group of Israeli tourists on a cruise ship
who were barred from disembarking
at Tunis, with the US-based cruise
operator saying it would no longer call
at Tunisian ports in protest.
Karboul insisted the case had
nothing to do with discrimination,
saying merely that there was a problem
with the Israelis’ visas. Before the
revolution, Tunisia managed to project
an image of itself as an attractive
holiday destination in the southern
Mediterranean, concealing the
ruthlessness of the regime in power
that was finally overthrown in the first
Arab Spring uprising in 2011. Many
had hoped to see tourism rebound last
year, but those hopes were dashed
with the separate assassinations of
two secular politicians in attacks that
sparked political upheaval and fears
of further jihadist violence. Even so,
tourism receipts rose by a modest 1.7
percent to 3.23 billion dinars ($2.25
billion) from 2012, although they were
8.3 percent off the figure from 2010.
Karboul said the country “is already
safer,’’ adding that growth was starting
to recover in Europe, Tunisia’s main
tourism market. One of the ministry’s
objectives is to promote destinations
away from the coast, which have
previously attracted little attention.
“The coast is there, but we’re trying
to get out the fact that each region has
its own character,’’ Karboul said.
Last month, several thousand
people got a taste of the diverse tourist
attractions on offer, at “Electronic
Dunes,’’ a desert music festival
held in the southern desert. Karboul
acknowledged that Tunisia’s image
had to reflect realities, and that certain
services needed to be improved
to boost tourism, such as rubbish
collection, which has been repeatedly
disrupted by the social protests and
strikes since the revolution.
Eturbonews
Development Community (SADC)
countries like Malawi, Zambia
and Zimbabwe by providing
alternative transportation routes.
Signing the agreement were
Namibia’s National Planning
Commission Director-General,
Tom Alweendo and Botswana’s
Minister of Minerals, Energy and
Water Resources Onkokame Kitso
Mokaila. The signing ceremony
took place at the exact location
where the Namibia Ports Authority
(Namport) intends to construct
the North Port Bulk Container
Terminal.
The bulk container terminal
would be used to store coal
transported via the Trans Kalahari
railway, scheduled for completion
in 2019.
Construction of the project is
expected to cost approximately
N$100 billion (about US$9.2
billion). Financing will be sourced
through private stakeholders.
The Trans-Kalahari Highway was
constructed at a cost of N$850
million and opened in 1998. “The
development of the TKR and
commodity handling facilities in
Walvis Bay will go a long way in
facilitating the development of
the estimated 212 billion tonnes
of the coal resource in Botswana
in power generation and others,”
Mokaila said last week. Alweendo
during the signing ceremony said
the agreement is a clear testimony
that Africa is on the rise although
the continent still faces numerous
challenges. “Africa is growing and
is no longer the Dark Continent it
used to be.
However, the continent has
its own challenges of which one
is infrastructure. Therefore the
Trans-Kalahari railway project
is very important to the rest of
the continent as well. It has also
awakened Africa to realize the
importance of investing in our
infrastructure,” Alweendo said. He
went on to say that the TKR project
also serves as encouragement not,
onlyfortheSADCregion,butforthe
rest of the continent and suggests
that more African countries
should undertake projects of this
magnitude collectively.
“Such projects will increase
trade, create employment and
business opportunities for many
Africans,” he said. According to
Alweendo trade figures between
Namibia and Botswana, excluding
diamond trading are still under
N$300 million, hence the
importance of the railway since
it will significantly increase trade
figures. “The TKR will stimulate
economic growth, employment
and diversification in our two
countries,” said Mokaila. Also
attending the signing ceremony
were the Namibian Minister
of Trade and Industry Calle
Schlettwein and the Minister
of Mines and Energy, Erkki
Nghimtina. Additional reporting
by Eveline de Klerk in Walvis Bay.
By Desie Heita, Staff
Reporter, New Era
FROM PAGE 01
"Even though we are
geographically distant from
each other, Nigeria was proud
to identify with Namibia as it did
with other brotherly countries in
this sub-region.
"Your struggle was our
struggle, your pains were our
pains and today, your freedom is
our freedom," he added.
In accord with the order
of succession in the Nigerian
constitution following President
Umaru Yar'Adua's death on 5 May
2010, Vice-President Goodluck
JonathanwassworninasPresident
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
on 6 May 2010, becoming Nigeria's
14th Head of State. Dr. Jonathan
has been conferred with several
local and international awards.
He was voted the ‘Best performing
Deputy Governor’ in 2002 by IPAN,
given the ‘Democracy and Good
Governance Award’ by Nigeria
Union of Journalists in 2004.
The Africa International News
magazine league conferred on
him the ‘Niger Delta Development
Award’; the Nigerian Bar
Association, the ‘Distinguished
Personality’ award in 2006, and
the All African Students Union in
South Africa, the ‘Africa Leadership
Award 2006’.
Moreover, the Nigerian Union
of Teachers voted him the ‘Best
Performing Governor in Education
in the South-South’ in 2006. He
was also acknowledged by the
International Federation for World
Peace (IIFWP) in 22 July 2006,
with ‘Ambassador for Peace Merit
Award’ as well as the ‘Leadership
and Good Governance Merit
Award’.
Jonathan was born in what is
now Bayelsa State to a family of
canoe makers. Jonathan holds a
B.Sc. degree in Zoology in which he
attained Second Class Honours.
He holds a M.Sc. degree in
Hydrobiology and Fisheries
biology, and a PhD degree in
Zoology from the University of
Port Harcourt. Before he entered
politics in 1998, he worked as an
education inspector, lecturer, and
environmental-protection officer.
Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
is married to Dame Patience
Goodluck Jonathan, and the union
is blessed with children.
President Goodluck Jonathan conferred with the Namibia highest national honour- “Order of Welwitschia”
Namibia’s National Planning Commission Director General, Tom Alweendo
and Botswana’s Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources Onkokame
Kitso Mokaila at the signing ceremony


mONDAY | March 31, 2014

4. O
ne of the most naturally
exquisite and most
prosperous countries in
Sub-Saharan Africa, Gabon is
truly a paradise on earth. Gabon
is the talk of the town when it
comes to eco-tourism, thanks to
the government designating 10
percent of the country’s land to
national parks. Gabon’s economy
is dominated by oil. Oil revenues
comprise roughly 46% of the
Government’s budget, 43% of
gross domestic product (GDP),
and 81% of exports. The chief
products of Gabon’s industrial
sector include refined petroleum,
chemicals, food and beverages,
textiles, and wood products.
Emerging Gabon
Gabon’s Government has
launched an ambitious public
investment and reform program
to transform the central African
countryintoadiversifiedemerging
market economy by 2025. Gabon’s
Special Economic Zones (SEZ’s)
play a key role in Emerging
Gabon’s industrial overhaul.
The creation of Special
Economic Zones offers a number
of fiscal benefits to investors:
» Nkok Special Economic Zone:
1,100 hectares near the capital,
Libreville.
» Mandji Tax-Free Zone: 1,500
hectares near Gabon’s business
capital, Port-Gentil.
The current and future Special
Economic Zones will make it
promising to build branched out
clusters, “New, specialist cities”,
with a noteworthy latent for
The Gabonese Republic is one of West Africa’s most stable countries and boasts one of the highest incomes per
capita, thanks to its oil wealth. Abundant natural resources and foreign private investment have combined to
make Gabon as favoured investment destination. It is a mineral rich country which is set to become one of the
world’s leading producers of manganese.
Gabon AT
A GLANCE
Official Name
Gabonese Republic
Head of State
H.E. Mr. Ali Bongo Ondimba
Capital
Libreville
Area
267,667 sq km (103,347 sq miles), similar
in size to Colorado
Population
1.5 million (World Bank data), 80% urban
Governement
Multi-party democracy
Time Zone
GMT + 1
Country Dialling Code
+241
Currency
Central African CFA franc (XAF)
Major Exports
Crude oil, Timber, Manganese
Major Imports
Machinery and equipment, foodstuffs,
chemicals, construction materials
Climate
Equatorial. June to September plus a
few weeks in December to January are
dry. The rest of the year is hot and humid.
Average max temps: 290 C (850 F) in
February to April, Average min temps: 220
C (720 F) in July.
Official Language
French
CountryoftheWeek04
GABON
Advertiser's Index
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Linc Pens ....................................................................................... Page 05
Jet Airways...................................................................................... Page 07
The Times of Africa ........................................................................ Page 07
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Mill India Ltd. .................................................................................. Page 10
Laxmi Publications (P) Ltd.............................................................. Page 11
Radeecal Communications ........................................................... Page 12
Indian Spinal Injuries Centre ......................................................... Page 12
See, Feel And Believe
Each of the three landscape types
(Coast, savannah and forest) is
home to an impressive diversity of
wildlife such as chimps, elephants,
river hogs, birdlife, whales, turtles,
hippos etc.
A country investing for its
future
12 billion USD for public
investment over the next six years
to support economic development:
» Development of competitive
and integrated transport
infrastructure.
Roads:
» Tarring of over 3,600 km of
roads carrying 80% of traffic;
» Development of main north-
south and east-west national
roads;
Ports:
» Modernization and expansion
of two main ports;
» Construction of a new deep-
water port in southwest Gabon;
Waterways:
» Construction of river ports;
» Development of a part of the
3,300km of inland waterways;
» Improvement of electricity
generation capacity to reach
2,000 MW by 2020;
» Construction of three
hydroelectric dams;
» Construction of a natural gas
fired power plant;
» High-speed internet connection
from 2012 to the underwater
ACE fibreoptic cable.
A country open to
investors
» Quality public administration
service for investors;
» The Private Investment
Promotion Agency for company
registration;
» The Chamber of Commerce
and Industry for business and
economic information;
» Thecreationofspecialeconomic
zones offering a number of
fiscal benefits to investors.
All in all this fascinating
country is one of the continent’s
most stable countries. Gabon is
an upper-middle income country
with per capita income four times
the sub-Saharan African average.
the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE)
fibre-optic cable, running 12,000
kilometres along the continent’s
western coastline and connecting
13 countries from France to Sao
Tome Principe, went live. It has
now more than tripled connection
speeds, from 1.2 to 4.9 gigabits
per second. It will definitely help
Gabon’s citizens, businesses and
institutions, constitutes to rank
foremost among the Gabonese
Government’s priorities for
the future. In 2010, significant
reductions in internet access costs
were introduced nationwide as
part of a forward- thinking plan to
ensure the emergence of a digital
economy by 2016.
A Land of Discovery
Trees and water are the
symbols of Gabon combine in
thousand different ways and in all
three natural dimensions to create
an infinite number of never ending
landscapes. A large part of the
country is covered by spectacular
tropical rainforest criss-crossed
by innumerable rivers, with the
Ogooue’, some 1200 km long,
majestically illustrating the
diversity of Gabon’s landscapes.
Nature lovers will be enthralled by
the fauna and flora of the national
parks and nature reserves, home
to species that, without this
protection, would face extinction.
The sandy beaches, forest and
savannah offer a rich variety
of wildlife; the Ogooue’ runs
alongside a plethora of mangrove
swamps, islands, lakes, mountains,
and canyons.
Gabon’s extensive coastline
makes it a prime location for
fishing, water and beach sports,
with a tropical climate of 25
to 30 degree C throughout the
year. A wide selection of modern
hotels provides accommodation
to those wishing to unwind or try
out different water sports (Water
skiing, wind surfing or surfing)
or land based pursuits such as
golf and tennis. Libreville has an
18 – hole golf course, situated on
an undulating site facing the sea.
making direct and indirect jobs.
In this way, Emerging Gabon
will allow diversified investment
and foster the development of
enterprises that are champions
in their domain, with weight at
regional and international level,
which in turn will boost the
activity of the entire SME sector.
Tomorrow’s emerging Gabon will
be integrated into global economic
networks, no longer only through
its oil and mineral resources, but
also through its enterprises and
the influence of its citizens.
A Prosperous SME Sector
The number of SME’s in Gabon
has increased by 22.3% between
2010 and 2011. The IT and
commercial sectors have shown
the largest increases: 23.5% rise
in the number of IT related SMEs
and 21.3% in specialty retail and
wholesale trade and import. The
Government of Gabon is enhancing
the bonds between local SME’s and
foreign partners. The President
has made it clear that he does not
want the economy to rely solely on
the oil and mining sectors which
accounts for close to 50% of GDP,
60% of the tax revenue and 80%
of the exports. Gabon is inviting
foreign investors to invest in this
prosperous sector.
Enhanced Internet
connectivity
2013 was the year of Internet
ConnectivityinGabon.Thecountry
was connected to the internet via
the SAT-3 submarine cable and by
satellite. On December 19, 2012,
MONDAY | March 31, 2014

5. BusinessBuzz 05
Is Saya emerging
as a competitor of
WhatsApp??
A
n innovative and fresh
Ghana-based chat
application, Saya has a
brought new boom in the country
and has gained huge popularity
amongst mobile phone round
the globe. Discovered in 2012,
Saya is a true substitute for text
messaging like WhatsApp but the
app is built for feature phones
only. A pass out from Accra-
based Meltwater Entrepreneurial
School of Technology, Robert
Lamptey explored Saya to
resolve the problem of expensive
SMS messaging faced by most
feature phones users. The app
has attracted users from 35
countries across the globe and
is keenly used in developing
countries outside Africa such
as Syria, India, Indonesia and
Bangladesh. Lamptey outlines
that Saya has been popular among
NESCAFÉÒ ‘My
Own Business'
World's leading Nutrition, Health
and Wellness company, Nestle
Kenya plans to recruit one hundred
entrepreneurs in its NESCAFÉÒ
'My Own Business' which will
assist to manage the escalating
youth unemployment and also lift
sales. Confirming to Managing
Director, Svetlana Obruchkova,
the programme, initiated in 2012,
is already upbringing a new set
of entrepreneurs in the country
who will now be able to earn up to
Sh500 per day in profits. Further, he
expressed, We have over 50 kits in
operation in the country and about
30 youths running their own coffee
businesses that are recording
commendable returns.
As part of the recruitment
drive, Nestlé Kenya by way of
existing vendors in high density
market areas identifies youth
who after undergoing prerequisite
training, are given free NESCAFÉÒ
kits. The activities are overseen by
Nestlé professionals who delivers
operators with equipment, guidance
and extra training.
users in the revolutions in Egypt,
Syria and Libya. The service in
the beginning offered group
messaging for non-smartphones
but has now expanded to the
smartphone market as well. The
initial acceptance of the new app
came as a surprise to Lamptey and
his co-founder Badu Boahen. The
application went viral with nearly
400,000 downloads in its first two
months.
Commenting on this, CEO
of Saya Mobile expressed, “Five
months after the launch we got
14m people who had been invited
by their friends to use the service.
We realized that each person was
inviting about 100 people to join.
There was this guy in India who
had 120 people on his phonebook
using Saya. We contacted him
and he told us he found it useful.
Lamptey attributes the victory
of Saya Mobile to his family
background and upbringing in
a household where striving to
be the best was encouraged. He
further articulated, “I was one of
the few kids in the neighbourhood
who had a chemistry lab [and]
who dismantled TVs. I was a
science student. I used to win all
the literature awards in school.
My father always taught me to be
the best in everything I did. Even
if I wanted to be a footballer, there
was one rule: be the best.”
Lamptey told we stepped
up in Africa with the moving of
Saya into enterprise messaging, a
venture that will aid the company
to monetise. He explains that
Saya Mobile waited this long
because there was “no clear
way to monetise.” He stated,
“Most of the ways to monetise
involved premium SMS and the
margins were not good because
telcos would take about 75% of
the amount and the company
providing a short code would also
take a cut. The math just didn’t
make sense,” he says. “I think
for us the right conditions were
not available. If we had been in
Kenya where M-Pesa was started,
it would have been easy to plug
in M-Pesa into the app.” Saya
Mobile has raised funding in the
“hundreds of thousands of dollars”
to cover its operating costs and
technology development.
Airtel and Manchester
United ties a knot
Nokia X bangs the African
market with Airtel
The best of signature Nokia
experience
W
ith remarkable presence
in nearly 20 countries
across Asia and Africa,
Bharti Airtel and Nokia have
broadcasted that the new
Nokia X smartphone will be
available for purchase across
17 countries in Africa by mid
April 2014. Exclusively designed
for consumers in high-growth
markets, the reasonable Nokia
X provides access to the world
of Android™ apps. Out of the
box, they can enjoy signature
Nokia experiences including
free* HERE Maps, with true
offline maps and integrated turn-
by-turn navigation. Also, the
Nokia X family is an affordable
presentation to the most popular
Microsoft services, involving free
cloud storage using OneDrive and
Outlook.com.
Not to mention, the flagship
Nokia X, is attractively designed
with Nokia’s signature design
approach. The handset possess
a 4” capacitive display and
interchangeable back covers that
come in a variety of exciting colors.
Internally, the device functions on
the Nokia X Software Platform
and is powered by a1Ghz dual
core Qualcomm® Snapdragon™
A
pioneer in
telecommunications sector,
Bharti Airtel and popular
English football club, Manchester
United, have publicized details of
a new mobile application created
to get its active fans in Africa
closer to the club. Manchester
United’s new Club application
awards comprehensive mobile
access enabling fans to have the
latest club news, exclusive videos,
match highlights, live in-game
updates, player profiles and much
more – all of which is absolutely
free for Airtel Africa’s subscribers.
This app is accessible free to
download from iOS and Android,
with additional exclusive content
presented to Airtel subscribers for
free. This new app award the fans
to get the latest news, views and
information from the Club. Worth
mentioning, Manchester United
was identified as the fastest
sports organization to reach one
million followers on Twitter and
processor. The icing on the cake is
the tile-based icons that provide
the Nokia X’s user interface a fresh
and innovative look, while by the
advanced Fastlane feature makes
switching between preferred
apps and content even smoother.
Remarking on the partnership,
Airtel Africa Chief Marketing
Officer, Andre Beyers stated, “This
is yet another first from Airtel and
Nokia.
As Africa’s largest Internet
provider, we are excited that
Airtel customers in 17 countries
will be amongst the first in
the world to enjoy a unique
combination of Nokia’s stunning
design and user experience
integrated with a wide range of
services. In addition, Nokia X will
come with data bundles for our
customers to access their favorite
social sites and chat applications.”
Further, Timo Toikkanen,
Executive Vice President, Mobile
Phones, Nokia expressed, “We are
delighted to partner with Airtel
to offer the Nokia X smartphone.
Consumers can enjoy their
favourite apps, the best of
signature Nokia experiences
and the most popular Microsoft
Internet and cloud services,
wrapped-up on a smartphone that
holds-on the Nokia promise.”
Google+ and is credibly known
to be the fastest growing Premier
League club on Facebook, Twitter
and Instagram. This also permits
the customers to involve with
their favorite club.
Expressing on the launch of
the Club app, Andre Beyers, Chief
Marketing Officer of Airtel Africa,
commented, “Football is one of
the biggest passion points for
many Africans and we look for
innovative ways to provide value
to our subscribers. Manchester
United’s Club App will offer
exclusive free content for our
subscribers over the normal
content that will be pushed
through this App.
The launch of this application
goes on to further cement our
partnership with Manchester
United Football Club and we look
forwardtohostingthisapplication
on our mobile network allowing
fans to get closer to their favorite
club.”
mONDAY | March 31, 2014

6. T
he term medical tourism is applied in
common dialect to explain the occurrence
of foreign patients looking for healthcare
in another country at better equipped hospitals
and/or at rates comparatively cheaper than in
their home countries.
India is emerging as a global healthcare
provider because of its capability to offer
world-class expertise at developing world
costs. There has been a proliferation of new
healthcare facilities at private centres of
medical excellence in India.
High-class medical infrastructure amenities,
coupled with enhanced and cheaper air
connections and easy access to visa facilities,
are some of the factors that have contributed to
the emerging scenario. The Chennai based
Apollo group of hospitals was one of the
first to receive international patients, mainly
people from the United Kingdom seeking
cataract surgery in the early 1990s. India is
alleviated with many hospitals offering world
class treatments in all fields of medicine such
as cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery,
diabetes, spine and joint replacement,
orthopedic surgery, ophthalmology, Dentistry,
Pulmonology, General Medicine. While a large
number of the private hospitals in India willing
to provide medical treatment to patients
regardless of nationality, only a few are in
the front position of encouraging the health
hospitality mix.
with any other part of Asia. Spa treatments,
Yoga, Ayurveda and naturopathy have always
tempted tourists to India. Throughout the
country, there are innumerable health spas,
relaxation and meditation centers that offer
therapeutic healing of the body, mind and
soul. The comfort, calm, and reassurance of the
treatments can perk up the body’s well-being
by heightening its own inherent curing abilities,
and can promote a sense of tranquility, and
peace.
India had launched the Pan-African
e-network in 2007, with the aim to link all the
secretariats of the Heads of States of 53 African
nations. It was also providing tele-education
and telemedicine facilities by
linking hospitals in Africa with
super-specialty hospitals in India.
Current developments in
healthcare relations between India
and Africa are striking particularly
the Pan African e-Network. The
system of telemedicine, based on
the use of electronic Information
Communication and Technology,
shares India’s quality healthcare with African
counterparts.
At present the network extends online
medical services through tele consultation, by
linking the 12 specialty hospitals in India to
practitioners on the African continent. Ethiopia
was selected for the e-network pilot project
in 2007. Tele-education programmes between
Addis Ababa University, Haramaya learning
centres, and the Black Lion and Nekempte
hospitals in Ethiopia with Care Hospital in
Hyderabad were established.
The AU has short-listed three chief regional
universities and two regional hospitals for
participation in the e-network.
These include Makerere University in
Uganda, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science
and Technology in Ghana, the University of
Yaounde in Cameroon, Ibadan Hospital in
Nigeria, and the Brazzaville Hospital in the
Republic of Congo.
As a part of the telemedicine project, live
consultation is being accessible for one hour
every day to each of the 53 member’s states
of the AU in 18 medical disciplines, ranging
from cardiology, neurology and urology to
gynecology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology
and paediatrics. The project also extends
skill improvement through the sharing of
information with medical personnel in African
countries through its continuing medical
education (CME) programme. It is however at a
FRANKLY SPEAKING06
Africa is India’s
Medical Health Tourist
Initially I was not aware
that India is doing medical
tourism with our country. I am
totally surprised to witness
the technologies available
with India in this sector.
We salute the efforts made
by India in medical sector
especially in manufacturing
generic medicines.
SHRI. Anand Sharma
Minister of Commerce and
Industry, Government of India
H.E. Mrs. Raymonde
GOUDOU COFFIE
Minister of Health, Cote d’Ivoire
By kirit sobti,
editor, iat
editor@indoafricatimes.com
T
he African healthcare sector
is a new treasure trove for
Indian investors. With almost
every sector booming in its own pace
and marking its presence globally,
the other side of the coin is a proof
that Africa still has to travel miles to
achieve the elementary level of health
infrastructure.
Naresh Trehan, Chairman and
Managing Director of the Medanta
Group of Hospitals at the 10th CII EXIM
Bank Conclave asserted, “Cooperation
in sharing local-level experiences in
healthcare of both the regions will
help.” Trehan also quoted that one
of the similarities in the healthcare
statuses of both the economies is that
communicable diseases such as malaria
still overshadow the developments
together with non-communicable
diseases such as diabetes, anaemia and
hypertension.
Ranjan Chakravarti, Head of
Transformation and Business
Consulting at Ranbaxy, also stepped
up noting that, “The setting up of a
centralized cell should be explored to
address such issues. This will play an
effective role in sharing experiences.”
HIV/ AIDS is the major issue of
concern in Africa with more and more
cases being reported, thus having its
impact on African economic growth.
A.K. Khanna, Executive Director of
Emcure Pharmaceuticals Limited
also asserts that majority of African
healthcare providers are aiming on
HIV/AIDS. He added, “India has to think
of Africa as an opportunity. Medical
tourism is very important and it should
be developed properly.”
It is true that African countries
anticipate huge Indian investment
in tertiary healthcare along with
affordable medicines resource for its
population. Last year also, Hussain Ali
Mwinyi, Tanzania’s Health Minister
noted that the finest way to enhance
abilities was by universal healthcare.
Hussain added, “We require good
healthcare for the middle class.” And
welcomed Indian investors in sector
of telemedicine, anticipating that it
would surely descend the healthcare
expenses.
India’s healthcare developments
and expertise can prove to be a boom
for African continent as the continent
deals with many health issues proving
to be barriers in economic growth.
Sharing local
level experiences
in healthcare
Eighty seven developing
countries, their entire health
care system is supported by
Indian medicines, and we're
committed to ensure that
even the new generation of
life-saving drugs, the Indian
pharmaceutical industry will
make available to our people
and people of developing
countries.
Excellent medical
care in India
• India offers several
super specialty
hospitals;
• Affordable and
inexpensive costs;
• Vastly skilled,
experienced and trained
doctors;
• State of the art, and the
technological expertise
utilized by the doctors is
world class and latest;
• First-rate and
safe implants and
consumables;
• There is virtually zero
wait time involved;
• The hospital staff
speaks English very
easily and fluently,
thus eradicating any
communication gaps or
slip-ups.
A large
number of
the private
hospitals in
India willing
to provide
medical
treatment
to patients
regardless of
nationality
Over the last two decades, the economic
boom in India has led to the ramping up of
medical facilities infrastructure that rival
the very best that western medical care that
the west has to offer. The promising world of
medical tourism is drawing loads of overseas
patients especially from Africa. The flourishing
medical tourism industry and the various
business ties and investment opportunities
emerging between India and Africa provide
the possibility of affordable, high-quality
healthcare for those who can afford to pay for
treatment abroad.
India is an enchanting and captivating
country. It has been a tourist hot spot and has
enticed foreigners predominantly because of its
mysticism, spirituality, exotic locales, and rich
history and culture.
But, as exceptional standards of medical
treatment emerge, and there is a larger demand
for low-priced, yet good quality health care, and
a vigorous participation of the private sector,
foreign patients have started perceiving the
country as a perfect destination to have medical
treatments. Also as it is mentioned above, India
is the home of the largest pharmaceutical
industry in the world, which has a self-
sufficient drug production and exports drugs to
over 180 countries across the globe.
The strongest advantage in favor of India
is its ability to provide international quality of
medical care at the lowest rates, in comparison
budding stage and the care offered through
telemedicine can be limited for surgical
treatment and complicated cases that
require state-of-the-art technology.
MONDAY | March 31, 2014

7. TRAVELtourism 07
U
ganda is a basket full of abundant
activities for tourists and visitors to
get pleasure from. Wondering why it
is called 'The Pearl of Africa'? Where else can
you discover lions lurching across the open
savanna as day breaks before white water
rafting down the Nile, then the next day set
off into the foggy mountains in search of the
royal mountain gorillas before conciliating in
to watch a local cultural evening around the
camp fire?
With 500 species of mammals, Uganda
has incredible multiplicity; and with the
opening of the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, the big
five are there. On top of this, Uganda has a
good number of chimpanzees and there are
several places where one can track them. With
well over 1000 species registered inside its
borders, Uganda is also one of the best bird-
watching destinations in the world.
Wildlife Viewing
There are four national parks in Uganda
that put forward the opportunity for wildlife
drives. These are:
• Murchison Falls
• Queen Elizabeth
• Kidepo Valley
• Lake Mburo
With more mammal and bird species than
any park in Uganda, Queen Elizabeth bestows
the greatest variety; however, Murchison
Falls offers the larger mammals in greater
concentration and also giraffes, which aren't
found at Queen Elizabeth. At both parks
you're very likely to see elephants, buffaloes,
hippos, bushbucks and kobs; and, with a
bit of luck you'll also see lions and leopards.
Gorilla trekking is one of the chief draws for
travellers in Uganda. These gentle giants live
in two national parks- Bwindi Impenetrable
and Mgahinga Gorilla.
Splendor Charm of River Nile
The Nile, one of the most thrilling and
moving rivers in the world, commences her
journey from Lake Victoria in Uganda. The
River is incredibly capricious, placid like a
great sheet of water in some places and frothy
and frenetic in others. Her puzzling ways have
given rise to a whole industry of adventure
tourism in Uganda. From white river rafting
to gentle fishing, the Nile offers a great deal
for the tourist on the lookout for a little zing
to spice up his holidays.
The Bujagali Falls which lie downstream
on the Nile offer one of the most breathtaking
rafting experiences in the world. Relax after
a hectic day of rafting with some wonderful
fishing. Sports Fishing is a fun action held in
both Lake Victoria and the Murchison National
Park. The catch includes the humongous Nile
perch, tilapias, barbels and tigerfish.
Dry off after the Nile adventures and get
ready to climb the mountains. Take a trek
through the Bwindi and Mgahinga National
Park and experience a close encounter of the
ferocious kind with the mountain gorillas. It’s
an experience that’s unlikely to happen in any
other part of the world.
T h e P e a r l o f A f r i c a
UGANDA
mONDAY | March 31, 2014

8. TALKINGTECHNOLOGY08
T
he modern day warfare is
constantly evolving. It is
no longer limited to the
Battlefields. It has now moved to
theurbanareaswherethethreatis
from terrorists and criminals too.
And as the new forms of combat
appear, the modern soldier has
to be more aware, more informed,
more lethal and better protected.
To enable the modern soldier to
face the new enemy fearlessly,
effectively and precisely, MKU
has used its expertise and latest
technologies to develop armoring
solutions to protect the soldier in
the most difficult battle scenarios
and riotous environment.
Established in 1985 in
Kanpur, MKU is today India
is leading manufacturer and
supplier of ballistic protection
and surveillance equipment for
armed, paramilitary police
forces. With its in-house state-of-
the-art research and development
division and inhouse ballistic
testing facility, MKU has
developed a range of more than
30 products in 10 categories
against more than 1000 threats to
meet the needs of its customers in
over 100 countries.
Its manufacturing facilities are
certified to ISO 9001: 2008, AS
9100 ISO 14000 standards and
it has been honoured with awards
from the Ministry of Commerce
and Industry, Govt. of India on
many occasions for its exemplary
export performance. With its
laudable motto of ‘Saving Lives,
Earning Smiles’, MKU brings
smiles to the faces of families of
defence and police personnel who
put their lives at risk everyday
to protect us. For protection of
the soldier, MKU manufactures
helmets, body armour, shields,
de-mining suits and bomb
blankets. MKU has developed
light-weight body armour which
seamlessly integrates with the
soldier’s high tech equipments,
such as network portable
computers, communication kits
and power systems, to give him
easy mobility and comfort.
According to company
sources, MKU has one of the
largest production capacities
in the world to manufacture
over 150,000 bulletproof vests
a year. One of its revolutionary
inventions, the ‘Instavest’, is the
most advanced ballistic jacket
available in the world today. It
features a patented quick release
jettison system, which divests
the vest immediately from the
user’s body within a split second.
It can then be put back on in 30
seconds and ready for re-use, says
Manish Khandelwal, Business
Manager (Personal Protection
and the inventor of Instavest - a
feat unmatched by any competing
product in the industry.
In modern combat scenarios,
troops need to engage effectively
during night. Keeping this in mind,
MKU has developed light weight
night vision devices: Jaguar
7 – a combat-proven hand held
night vision binocular; Jaguar-14
a multi-purpose monocular
weighing 260gms; and Night
eye—a rugged weapon sight.
MKU – EVOLVING MODERN DAY WARFARE
For vehicle protection, MKU
offers light weight composite
panels and kits for naval vessels,
land vehicles and helicopters.
The Company has armored more
than 1500 vehicles in the past five
years. It is a fair assessment that
the use of body armour and other
ballistic protection equipment
has increased worldwide in
recent times. And as new threats
arise and new enemies are
born, the need for a wide range
of innovative protection and
surveillance equipment cannot be
over-emphasized.
It is to the brave modern
soldier, who constantly lives on
the edge, that the new innovations
should be dedicated- because
victory often lies just beyond the
edge.
MONDAY | March 31, 2014

9. TRYSOMETHINGNEW 09
Prepration Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Ingredients
• 1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
• 1/4 cup caster sugar or 1/4 cup superfine
sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup self-raising flour
National Conference on
Emerging Innovative
Trends in Computer
Science
The National Conference on
Emerging Innovative Trends
in Computer Science, organized
by the Vasavi College of
Engineering will take place
from 1st April to the 2nd April
2014 at the Vasavi College of
Engineering in Hyderabad, India.
The conference will cover areas
like Local Academy to Meet the
Contemporary Market Demands,
Associated with Eminent Industries
to Carry-out Research, Factset,
Infosys, Cognizant.
Date: 01-02 Apr 2014
Venue: Vasavi College of Engineering,
Hyderabad, India
Mobile World Conference
The conference will cover areas
like Lessons from the leading
mobile operators, handset
manufacturers, content providers
and application developers,
Challenges of developing apps for
multiple platform launches, Mobile
computing over cloud, Smart
devices and the cloud etc.
Date: 03 Apr 2014
Venue: Mumbai Hotel Kohinoor, Mumbai,
India
Zak Interior Exterior Expo
The Zak Interior Exterior Expo
is emerged out as one of the
most awaited global exposition
where over 200 exhibitors present
Interiors, elaborating technology,
innovations, equipment and
concepts to architects designers
sector. It is organized by ZAK
Trade Fairs and Exhibitions Private
Limited at Chennai Trade Centre,
Tamil Nadu, India and is emerges
out as a hub of more than 15,000
visitors.
Date: 03-06 Apr 2014
Venue: Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai,
India
Hi-Tech Office Expo
Chandigarh
Hi-Tech Office Expo Chandigarh
which showcases a wide range
of office furniture, stationery items,
machineries and services. This
show will bring together the top
industrialists who are involved in
this sector and find this show to be
the absolute platform where they
will get to expand their marketing
networks.
Date: 04-06 Apr 2014
Venue: Parade Ground, Chandigarh, India
India International
Business Show
India International Business Show
is a 3 day event being held from
4th April to the 6th April 2014 at the
Govt College Ground in Ludhiana,
India. This event showcases
products like wide variety of
electronic products and services,
different types of innovative
products, services and techniques
etc etc. in the Electronics
Electrical Goods, Business
Services industries.
Date: 04-06 Apr 2014
Venue: Govt College Ground, Ludhiana,
India
Fashion Jewellery
Accessories Show
Hotsales latest fashion style
bracelet, necklace or pendants
fittings/accessories loose 100pcs/
lot Popular in jewelry market, the
size is 6mm,8mm,10mm,12m
m,14mm,16mm,18mm .Perfect
workmanship with reasonable
price.
Date: 05-07 Apr 2014
Venue: Bombay Convention Exhibition
Centre (BCEC), Mumbai, India
upcoming
Shuku Shuku (Nigerian Coconut Balls)
African Cuisine
In Tunisia, images of fish are
often used to protect against
evil. New buildings often have
fish bones or tails embedded in
them as they are built, and cars
have brightly colored plastic or
cloth fish attached to them to
provide protection to the people
inside.
Try never to feel that you are competing against anyone;
it is better to have the feeling that you are helping all.
THOUGHT OF
THE WEEK
1. Of course
bien sûr
2. Enjoy your meal
Bon appétit
3. I'm on my way
J'arrive
4. Shall we go?
On y va?
5. No problem
Pas de problème
Handy French
 Cardiovascular Bone
Health
 Reduces Body Fat
 Anti-inflammatory
Antioxidant Support
 Diuretic Kidney Support
 Muscle Nerve Support
 Alkaline-forming
 Improves Eye Health
 Immune Support, Wound
Healing Prevents Cell
Damage
picture of the week
Mr. Vinay Kumar, Joint Secretary (E SA division), Ministry of External Affairs with H.E. Mr. Pius Dunaiski, High
Commissioner of Namibia at the National Day Celebration of Namibia

FLAG NAME CAPITAL CURRENCY OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
Senegal Dakar CFA franc French
Seychelles Victoria Seychellois rupee
Seychellois Creole, French
English
Sierra Leone Freetown Leone English
Somalia Mogadishu Somali shilling Somali, Arabic
(175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the
coconut, sugar and egg yolks to form
a stiff dough. Squeeze into 1 inch balls,
and roll each ball in flour to coat.
3. Place on a baking sheet, spacing about
2 inches apart.
4. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated
oven, or until golden.
Add
Water
melonto your summers for:
Know More About Africa
UPDATES
 What desert makes up
about 80% of Algeria's land
mass?
The Sahara
 What do Egyptians call
Egypt?
Masr
 The Ancient Egyptians had
a special kind of writing.
What was it called?
Hieroglyphicsp
 What mountain range
covers most of the
 Senegal Embassy is shifted from 14/2, E Block, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi-110057 to E-6/32
Vasant Vihar, New Delhi- 110057.
 H.E. Mrs. Elizabeth Paula Navpewok accredited as the new High Commissioner of Uganda
to India
Morocco?
Atlas
 What volcano serves as
Djibouti's highest point?
Mousa Ali
 Malawi has two official
languages, one is English the
other one is?
Chichewa
 Lake Malawi borders which
three African countries?
Malawi, Tanzania and
Mozambique
 What was the name of
this country before it was
renamed Lesotho?
Basutoland
 The Gambia shares
just under 750km of its
border with one country.
What is the name of this
neighbouring country?
Senegal
 Which animal appears on
the Zambian National Flag?
An Eagle
mONDAY | March 31, 2014

10. Vlisco fashion
dream fund contest
is back with a bang
THEFASHIONISTAS10
I
t was a moment of proud and
tears for Christine Mbabazi, a
23-year-old student of Mass
Communication at Mt. Kenya
University and presenter of the
popular Overdrive show on
Radio 10, when she launched
a fashion house; Christine
Creative and Fashion House
in Remera, Kenya. The fashion
house came into being soon after
another fashion house, Doda,
a collaboration by Colombe
Ituze and St. Louis Johanne in
Kimironko. Mbabazi during
the event bursted out in tears
of joy while her speech as she
A shinning gem has been
added to Malawi’s modeling
industry crown as the country’s
models have been selected
to participate at this year’s
Southern Africa Fashion
Week scheduled to be held in
Johannesburg, South Africa.
The impending fashion week
is a part of the Southern Africa
Fashion Conference (SAFC)
expected to take place from 30
April to 01 May, 2014. It’s the
T
he mantra to enjoy
summers is to do fashion
with confidence! Radiant,
glowing skin is the key to look
younger and feel healthier. So,
don’t be scared of the sun this
summer…just go out and enjoy
while adhering to some tips to
beat the heat.
For people with oily skin,
summer is said to be a bane for
them.
• The first and foremost thing
is to stay hydrated. Your body
tends to lose a lot of moisture in
summers, so it’s always essential
to frequently replenish the H2O
level. Drink a lot of water and
liquids and your skin will stay
soft and moisturized as well.
• Cleansing is of supreme
importance during summer.
Cleansing cream or gel is advised
for cleansing for normal to dry
skin,whileanoilyorcombination
skin should be cleansed with a
cleansing milk or lotion. For skin
prone to pimples, medicated
A fresh option to shop for fashion
Malawian Models in glare of publicity at
Southern African Fashion week
explained how her childhood
dream came true. In the same
strain she asserted, “Christine
Creative and Fashion House is
going to be unique in its own way.
It’s going to deliver exactly what
the customers want. You are free
to walk in, order for what you
need and it will be delivered to
you within two days.”
Mbabazi also trying her
hand in jewelry making and
other accessories asked her
audience to expect more from
her new fashion house. Mbabazi
also discussed regarding
the challenges such as lack
of necessary support and
venturing into the fashion
industry.
During the launch, Christine
showed ramp walk with some
of Rwanda’s top models, thus,
leaving the guests spell bounded.
Beat the Heat
this Summer!!
A brand known for influencing the
fashionlandscapeinWestandCentral
Africa, Vlisco is once again awarding
the young fashion designers with an
excellent opportunity to convert their
dreams into reality through the Vlisco
Fashion Dream Fund contest. The
competition was commenced last
year as part of the Vlisco Women’s
Month campaign. It required young
fashion designers in six countries
to present proposals on how they
plan to showcase and exhibit their
brands in the coming years. Also,
the participants were required to
persuade the organizers on why they
should be financially backed up to
accomplish their dreams. Vlisco is
encouraging fashion talents from
Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Congo
DR and Ivory Coast to place their
fashion business plans online and
get a chance to win some prizes.
Expressing at the inauguration
of the 2014 Vlisco Women’s Month
campaign lately at the Accra Mall,
Rudolf van Gompel, the Executive
Retail Director of the Vlisco Group
conveyed that the top three winners
of the pitch will get $2,500 funding
plus an excellent chance to attend
fashion training programmes in the
Netherlands. He also mentioned
that at the local level, the top three
pitchers in Ghana will each get
a sewing machine plus Gh¢300.
Further, the Vlisco official articulated,
“Young fashion designers who are
nationals or residents in the six
countries mentioned earlier qualify
for the pitch.” Jury of renowned folks
will select the winners who will be
announced at a ceremony in Accra
on April 5. Worth mentioning, Ghana
performed the best in 2013 contest.
From the over 100 proposals
received, designers Kyerewa Atta–
Krah of April Rust and Sheila Garbrah
of She by Bena Creations, appeared
as the overall winner and second
runner-up, respectively.
third season of SAFC and will
highlight models from Uganda,
Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, South
Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland.
SAFChasselectedfourmodels
from Malawi namely Thembi
Zimba, Peggy Mwanguku, Harry
Kazembe and Michael Kazembe.
The chosen models, one
from Blantyre and three from
Lilongwe were also a part of the
Malawi Fashion Week 2013.
They went through an
cleansers are recommended.
Deep pore cleansing is needed
during hot and humid conditions,
especially for oily skin, to keep
the pores free of clogged oil and
dirt. In fact, during summer the
face should be washed several
times with plain water.
• A good flower based skin tonic
containing rose or lavender is
ideal in hot, humid weather to
cleanse and refresh your skin.
Or, use rose water, if you have
normal to dry skin. It refreshes
the skin and imparts a clean
and fresh feeling. Not to forget
girls, after cleansing one should
wipe skin with a cotton wool pad
dipped in skin tonic.
• Also, if you are out during the
day, carry a small bottle of rose
skin tonic in your handbag, so
that you can use it whenever the
skin feels sweaty and greasy.
• Meanwhile, cleansing of skin
at night, before bedtime is even
more important. This not only
helps in reducing surface oil,
but also protects the skin from
pimples, spots, etc. For normal
to dry skin, cleansing must be
done using a nourishing cream
and massaging it on the face with
a few drops of water. Wipe off
with moist cotton wool before
bedtime.
• It always advised, try and stay
indoors between 11am and 3pm
asthesun’sraysarethestrongest
and can have an adverse effect on
your skin. Don’t forget to apply
that all-important sunscreen 30
minutes before you step out. If
you’ve been out in the sun for a
few hours, touch it up again so
you’re well protected.
Hate your tanned skin? Try
this out:
Gram flour can also be used
as a facemask to get rid of an
uneven tan.
Mix it with yoghurt and a
few drops of lemon and apply
and leave it on your face till it’s
dry. The citrus properties of
the lemon are very effective in
removing the tan.
audition which was held last
week in the capital, where 16
models auditioned. Expressing
in an interview, 19-year-old
Peggy articulated that it feels
great that she was selected to
represent Malawi.
Further, she conveyed, “I
can’t wait to represent my
beautiful country and put
Malawi on the map of the fashion
industry”. Also, she was looking
forward to the event as it will
award her with more experience
and exposure.
Harry, a designer at Mizu
Designs in Lilongwe, expressed
that for him it was not less than
a dream-come-true to be a part
of such an imperative event. He
added, “It’s something big and
this is an opportunity for me to
go big in my career as a model.”
Harry, who is strongly inspired
by Tyson Beckford and Djimon
Hounsou in the modeling world,
communicated, “You just never
know who might be there and
this might be a chance to get
scouted.
All in all am looking forward
to having fun.” Not to mention,
apart from models, two or four
designers from Malawi are
also anticipated to participate
at the SAFC and confirming to
Thembi, who is a coordinator
in the country, the selection of
designers will be done this week.
Models showcasing creations by
Christine Mbabazi.

Photo By Joseph Oindo
MONDAY | March 31, 2014

11. SPORTS2WATCH 11
Tunisia, Cameroon to host
AfroBasket 2015
Women FIBA Basketball (Turkey 2014):
Angola alongside the USA, all groups
MTN Renews SWAG Awards Sponsorship
Tunisia and Cameroon have
beenawardedthehostingdutiesfor
AfroBasket 2015 and AfroBasket
Women 2015 respectively, FIBA
Africa announced in Abidjan, Cote
d'Ivoire. The continental basketball
governing body made the awards
after hours of deliberations and bid
presentations by Angola, Central
African Republic (CAR), Cote
d'Ivoire, Cameroon, and Tunisia.
FIBA Africa selected Tunisia as
hosts of the AfroBasket 2015, the
28th edition of the championship
after bid presentations. Tunisia,
whowerechampionsatAfroBasket
2011, will host the men's
competition for the first time since
Ghana defender Isaac Vorsah has
thrown himself into contention for
a spot in Coach Kwasi Appiah's
team for the 2014 World Cup after
he declared his return to full fitness.
The Red Bull Salzburg player tore an
anterior crucial ligament in his knee
in May last year during a Cup match
and has been slow in his recovery.
He was expected to be fit before
the start of the season but the
centre-back is yet to kick a ball. But
Vorsah claims he is okay now and
could earn some game time before
the end of the season.
'It's been good. I've obviously
had a few knocks here and there
but gradually I am getting fit and
returning to playing regularly for my
club and country,' he said.
'I've tried to focus on being ready
for the World Cup and that's been
the main thing really. I know I have
been out for long but thankfully it's
all over for me.
'I will come back pretty much fit,
if I'm being honest.''
Vorsah was a member of the
Black Stars team which reached the
last eight of the 2010 World Cup
finals in South Africa.
Modern Ghana
1987 and the third time since the
competition's inception.
AngolaandCARalsosubmitted
bids to host the championship, but
Tunisia, who are the continent's
third highest-ranked team and
23rd in the FIBA Men's Ranking,
were chosen. Cameroon were
also picked as the host nation
for the AfroBasket Women 2015,
the 24th edition of FIBA Africa's
leading women's national team
tournament.
It will be the first time in
Cameroonian basketball history
that the country hosts the
championship. Their success
was coming after the game's
Groups of the 17th FIBA Women's
World Championship basketball
were made at Ciragan Palace in
Istanbul. Fifteen selections will
attempt to dethrone the United
States during this competition
which will take place from 27
September to 5 October 2014.
Angola, African reigning
champions can be found in group
D alongside the United States,
world and Olympic champions. In
addition to the American machine,
Angola must negotiate their ticket
to the next round with China and
Serbia.
Mozambique, beaten finalists
in Afrobasket 2013, will compete
in group B with the host country,
Canada and France, European and
Olympic silver medalist.
The group stage is scheduled
visible growth and exposure
in the country, including their
best result - a fourth-place finish
at AfroBasket Women 2013 in
Maputo in Mozambique.
The Cameroonians' bid got
the nod over those from Angola
and Cote d'Ivoire. The winners of
AfroBasket 2015 and AfroBasket
Women 2015 will qualify directly
for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The teams which finish second
and third will compete in FIBA's
Olympic Qualifying Tournaments
for Men and Women for the
remaining three berths on offer.
Meanwhile, FIBA Africa has
placed Angola on standby to
MTN, the leading
telecommunications company
in Ghana, has renewed its
commitment to sponsor the 39th
SportsWritersAssociationofGhana
(SWAG) Awards Nite scheduled for
May 17, 2014 at the Banquet Hall of
the State House in Accra.
A letter from the
telecommunication giants to
SWAG, signed by Mrs. Cynthia
Lumor, Corporate Communications
Director, said the company was
pleased to maintain its enviable
position as headline sponsor of the
SWAG event.
MTN has been the major
sponsor of the SWAG Awards
Nite since 2010. However, for the
company's Chief Executive Officer,
Vorsah Fights for
World Cup Place
Mr. Serame Taukobong, who
assumed office in July last year, the
upcoming SWAG event would be
his first personal experience of the
prestigious Awards Nite at which
sportsmen and sportswomen,
sports dignitaries and corporate
bodies are honored.
Corporate bodies which
sponsored the 2013 SWAG Awards
Nite included Guinness Ghana
Breweries Limited (GGBL ), Activa
International Insurance Company
Limited, Ghana Oil Company
Limited (Goil), Akosombo Textiles
Limited (ATL) and Stanbic Bank.
The SWAG is the only media body
in Ghana affiliated to AIPS, the
accredited media partners of FIFA.
Modern Ghana
for September 27 to 30 in Ankara
and Istanbul. The winners of each
pool are directly qualified for the
quarterfinals. Selections classified
2nd and 3rd of the four groups
will compete in a playoff round to
complete the Top 8.
Different groups of the World
Championship, Turkey 2014:
Group A (Ankara): Brazil, Japan,
Spain, Czech Republic.
Group B (Ankara): Mozambique,
Turkey,France, Canada.
Group C (Istanbul): South Korea,
Cuba, Australia, Belarus.
Group D (Istanbul): Serbia, China,
USA, Angola.
Modern Ghana
stage any of the two AfroBasket
championships should any of
Tunisia or Cameroon failed to meet
up with the demands of hosting.
The body's Central Board also
approved the granting of hosting
rights to a number of countries
for FIBA Africa 2014 programmes.
Madagascar and Mali are to host
the AfroBasket under-18 men
and women championships
respectively.
In the clubs category, Cote
d'Ivoire will host the final round
of the Africa Champions Cup for
Men while Tunisia will stage the
women's version. (NAN)
Modern Ghana
Song Gao (CHN), Diana Taurasi (USA)
and Nacissela Mauricio (MOZ)
Isaac Vorsah


mONDAY | March 31, 2014

12. ENCOUNTER WITH EDITOR12
What is the main objective of your
visit to India?
I came here to observe the experience
of India in the health sector as India
has faced a significant revolution in
this field. We could replicate the know-
how with a goal to improve the health
condition of the population of Burkina
Faso. We have visited a number of health
training centers, hospitals, and have
met people who are involved in various
areas of health with the aim to exchange
and establish a number of cooperative
relationships beneficial to Burkina
Faso and also for our Indian partners.
This is the main aim of my visit here,
which was organized by the Embassy
of Burkina Faso and I also want to take
the opportunity to express my heartiest
thanks to the Ambassador H.E. Mr. Idriss
Raoua OUEDRAOGO.
Do you believe that technology plays
an important role in the development
of medical sector?
Yes, ofcourse…… In the field of
technology, we truly believe that every
country is able to solve its problems
through telemedicine which acts as a
medium to capture essential information.
The technological know-how is very
important. I strongly believe that
telemedicine can contribute to create
awareness.
What are the medical challenges that
your country is facing?
Our country faces many health
challenges and these challenges starts
first at the population level. There are
diseases like malaria, which further
contributes to higher mortality in our
country. Tuberculosis and AIDS are also
serious diseases which affects the life of
the people. It is a big challenge that we
have in our country and these challenges
are due to existence of inappropriate
health services and staff. There is also
a need for medical and paramedical
training. The Government has made
a number of efforts to provide health
services.
Brief us about the projects that the
government is soon going to launch in
this field?
As I already said, we are facing many
challenges in the health sector; we have
a complete project which is going to
release in this subject. This plan has three
levels. Level one is principally concerned
for promoting social health with the
health district. Level two is principally
concerned for health care with regional
hospital. Level three is principally
concerned with national and university
hospital. Therefore, we must work
especially to strengthen the availability
of the qualified doctors. For this we
are going to introduce one programme,
called “Investment Priority” from 2013-
2018. This programme includes 10
projects which are going to cover all the
three level that I have briefed. Our goal
is to have a center for neurosurgery; our
plan is to open a center with best medical
facilities and qualified doctors. I wish to
seek assistance from Indian government
to improve our health system.
Recently you have been to Taiwan
and now you are visiting India, how
fruitful do you think your visit will
boom the medical sector of Burkina
Faso?
The visit was very fruitful in both
the countries; there is a surprise growth
in India. We need an assurance that our
partner will help us take the advantage
of this opportunity and we think that
our dynamic Ambassador is also going
to assist us in this work. It is mainly in
the field of training programs for our
doctors, our professional can get training
from Indian doctors. With the help and
cooperation of India and Taiwan we think
a lot can be done in this sector.
What is your vision in enhancing the
medical tourism between India and
Burkina Faso?
We have tried to discuss on this issue.
The distance is quite long and usually
when we evacuate our patient from
Burkina to India in case of emergency it
is very difficult. Now we are thinking that
how we can improve our health sector
or provide best medical facilities to our
patients in the country itself. Our health
specialist are visiting India in order to
get a professional training, it’s also very
beneficial for the medical tourism.
What are the funding options
available in your country for the
medical sector?
Currently we are thinking to provide
a precise health care package to all
the citizens of Burkina Faso with the
best infrastructure and equipments. At
this moment we are happy that now
our government is taking an initiative
and financing our project. Also, we
have other friendly countries and
institutions who are equally taking part
in our development. There is one more
option open for us i.e. the public and
private partners; they are also a source
of investments in the domain of health
sectors.
The health situation in Burkina Faso is strongly linked to the overall context and the socio-economic reality of the
country. Efforts have been made over the last decade to improve the health situation of the country. In a candid
interview to Kanchi Batra, Sub-Editor, Indo Africa Times, the Minister of Health from Burkina Faso, H.E. Mr. Lene Sebgo
cited health as the priority for government action that puts a strong emphasis on the qualified human resources to
provide efficient services.
Owner / Publisher / Editor: Mr. Kirit Sobti from 3rd Floor, Plot No. 3, Block PSP-IV, Service Centre Opp. Sector-11 (Extn.), Rohini, Delhi-85
Printed at LIPEE SCAN PVT. LTD. 89 DSIDC SHED Okhala Phase 1, New Delhi
There is a need for medical and paramedical training
H.E. Mr.
Lene Sebgo
Minister
of Health,
Burkina Faso

MONDAY | March 31, 2014