21 Aug - 27 Aug, 2025
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IN FOCUS |
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Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development
Omegere John Patrick, RIS
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From August 20–22, 2025, leaders from Africa, Japan, and the wider international community gathered in Yokohama, Japan, for the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9). Held every three years, this year’s summit was convened under the theme “Co-create Innovative Solutions with Africa.” Co-organised by the Government of Japan, the African Union Commission, the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the World Bank, TICAD has become a vital platform for shaping the framework of Japan–Africa development cooperation.
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Key Developments in the Global South |
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India and Fiji Deepen Cooperation |
At the invitation of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, the Hon’ble Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji, Mr. Sitiveni Rabuka, paid an Official Visit to the Republic of India. Prime Minister Rabuka, who was on his first visit to India in his current capacity, visited New Delhi and was accompanied by his spouse; Hon’ble Mr. Antonio Lalabalavu, the Minister for Health and Medical Services; and a delegation of senior officials of the Government of the Republic of Fiji. Prime Minister Modi warmly welcomed Prime Minister Rabuka and his delegation. The Leaders held comprehensive and forward-looking discussions on the full spectrum of bilateral matters and regional and global issues of mutual interest. |
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"India Will Advocate Global South's Interests as BRICS chair": Indian Envoy to Russia |
India, as the incoming chair of BRICS in 2026, intends to assertively champion the interests of the Global South throughout its presidency, elevating the bloc’s role as a platform for reforming global financial institutions, enhancing trade and investment, and amplifying the collective voice of developing nations. Ambassador Vinay Kumar, in an interview with TASS, articulated that India's chairmanship will focus on leveraging BRICS to address imbalances in the international financial architecture that often disadvantage emerging economies, while also driving conversation and policy shifts that promote equitable growth across the global south. India’s forthcoming BRICS chairmanship is expected to be marked by a vigorously proactive stance for the Global South. |
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Mr. Carl Skau, Deputy Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer of World Food Programme (WFP), called on Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare at Krishi Bhavan in New Delhi. The meeting focused on discussing WFP’s engagements and developments at the national as well as regional, and global levels. The Secretary, DA&FW, extended a warm welcome to the Deputy Executive Director and other members of the delegation to the Department. Emphasising the importance of partnership with the WFP, he commended the WFP’s valued coordination with governments. The Secretary also shared the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of positioning India as a global food basket, self-sufficiency for achieving food and nutrition security and underscored the importance of South–South cooperation as a vital pathway towards achieving the goals of Viksit Bharat. |
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In a significant gesture of solidarity with its Global South partners, India sent 32 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Peru, including 250,000 units of physiological saline solution to help patients battling dehydration in the South American country. "Caring for each other as Global South partners, India dispatched 32 tonnes of humanitarian assistance to Peru. A consignment of 250,000 units of physiological saline solution will support patients suffering from dehydration in Peru," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) posted on X. India-Peru relations have traditionally been cordial and friendly. India has regularly delivered humanitarian aid to its Global South partners. |
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“AI must stand for Africa Included.” With this powerful message, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres opened TICAD9, calling for reforms in global governance, bold action on debt relief, and greater investment in youth, women, and digital innovation. Against this backdrop, the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) concluded in Yokohama, reaffirming Africa’s role not as a beneficiary, but as a driver and co-creator of solutions to global challenges. Under the theme “Co-create Innovative Solutions with Africa”, leaders and partners pledged to accelerate transformation through inclusive, sustainable, and resilient development. |
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On August 25, 2025, Daniyar Amangeldiev, the First Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, met with Hokim Holikzoda, the First Deputy Prime Minister of Tajikistan, in Bishkek. The discussions built upon agreements previously achieved by national leaders, centring on the expansion of economic collaboration, the strengthening of cross-border coordination, and the implementation of shared infrastructure and energy ventures, with particular emphasis on CASA-1000. Kyrgyzstan proposed its experience in digital governance and validated a desire to elevate mutual trade volumes to $500 million. Dushanbe’s authorities recognised Bishkek’s improvements in tax administration, customs procedures, and digitisation, and conveyed a desire to implement comparable strategies. |
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Vice President of Colombia Francia Márquez Mina met the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Claver Gatete, for talks focused on advancing Global South priorities in Addis Ababa. The discussions centred on strengthening collaboration between the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and ECA. Both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to deepening South-South cooperation across critical development areas. According to ECA, the talks covered a wide range of issues, including trade, gender equality and gender-based violence, gender-responsive budgeting, women’s land access, rechanneling of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), pooled pharmaceutical procurement, experience sharing between regions, and the Global Tax Convention. |
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NEC Corporation announced a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to strengthen collaborative development assistance in Africa, coinciding with the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 9). This will contribute to the aims of both parties to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through innovative and efficient technology-enabled assistance, particularly in the areas of agriculture and global health/nutrition. WFP and NEC have launched initiatives for the monitoring of farmland in Ethiopia and Zambia, using the agricultural ICT platform.
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African ministers of health and global partners at the Seventy-fifth session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa pledged stronger action to accelerate local manufacturing of medicines and medical products to ensure self-sufficiency. Africa currently produces less than 1percent of the vaccines it consumes, leaving the region vulnerable to supply chain disruptions and global inequities. The health leaders committed to increase domestic investment, expand clinical trial capacity and implement the Regional Framework for Strengthening Local Production of Medicines, Vaccines, and Other Health Technologies (2025–2035). |
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The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Department of Health Research (DHR) invited representatives from Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and India for a high-level regional dialogue to strengthen the health research system at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi, India. This meeting proved to be an important milestone towards promoting cooperation in South and Southeast Asia in order to ensure that health research could provide direct guidance to policy making, take into account regional priorities and create a sustainable system for the future. In view of the future, the countries agreed to establish systematic mechanisms for sharing, including annual/biennial meetings, visits to each other, and joint capacity building programmes in research methods, ethics, grant writing and science communication. |
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Malaysia has launched Ryt Bank, billed as the world’s first AI-powered bank, developed by YTL Group in partnership with Sea Limited. At the heart of the new institution is Ryt AI, a digital assistant powered by ILMU, Malaysia’s first homegrown large language model, designed to understand natural conversation in Bahasa Malaysia, English and Manglish. Users can save with interest of up to 4% per annum paid daily, send and receive money via DuitNow, pay bills through JomPAY and access instant credit of up to RM1,499 under its Ryt PayLater feature. Customers can also use the Ryt Card, powered by Visa, which switches between debit and credit in-app and offers cashback rewards, zero foreign transaction fees and fee-free nationwide ATM withdrawals. |
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In an effort to develop agriculture and boost rural development, NEC Corporation, a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies, together with the new window International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), will tailor high-end digital technologies – remote sensing and secure digital platforms – to suit the unique needs of vulnerable small-scale producers in Africa. A letter of intent was signed to forge the new partnership on the margins of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9). This new partnership aims to enhance farm productivity, build resilience to weather and economic shocks, and support farmers in adapting to climate change. |
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Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema has launched a continent-wide cholera response plan, calling on African heads of state to establish presidential task forces to combat the deadly disease that has claimed over 4,500 lives across 23 countries this year alone. Unveiled on the sidelines of the 75th Session of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Committee for Africa in Lusaka, the Africa Continental Cholera Outbreak Response Plan aims to guide swift, coordinated national responses to cholera outbreaks and strengthen multisectoral collaboration. The Zambian leader, who serves as the African Union’s continental cholera champion, noted the need for high-level political leadership to combat the disease. |
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The 5th meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on Agriculture was held between India and South Africa in virtual mode. The meeting was co-chaired by Shri Ajeet Kumar Sahu, Joint Secretary (IC), Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfares, and Mr. Thapsana Molepo, Acting Director, International Trade Promotion, South Africa. Both sides underscored the significance of the meeting as a key milestone in deepening bilateral cooperation in the fields of agriculture and allied sectors. During the discussions, both sides explored opportunities to deepen collaboration between the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) of South Africa and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The key areas of focus included knowledge exchange, joint research initiatives, capacity building, and market access issues. |
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Haiti’s Minister of Agriculture, Agronomist Vernet Joseph, officially launched the Haiti-Colombia Agricultural Cooperation Mission at the Karibe Hotel. The ceremony was attended by Transition Advisors Leslie Voltaire and Emmanuel Vertilaire, Colombian Ambassador to Haiti Vilma Rocio Velázquez Uribe, Rector of the University of Córdoba Jairo Miguel Torres Oviedo, members of a Colombian delegation to Haiti, and representatives from several Haitian universities. This initiative marks a new milestone in cooperation between the two countries. It aims in particular to strengthen family farming and modernise key sectors such as cassava, corn, beans, and beekeeping, while laying the foundations for a lasting partnership to promote food security.
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The Sustain Sudan project has been launched with strong partnership commitments. The Sustain Sudan project brings together global partners to revive agriculture, support smallholder farmers, and build resilient agri-food systems to ensure long-term food security. The project initially focuses on fertilisers, then on crop protection products. The Sustain Sudan project partners recently gathered in Nairobi for a kick-off meeting to chart a clear course of action to address Sudan’s urgent food security challenges. The two-day meeting brought together key implementing and strategic partners – Sustain Africa, the IFDC, CIMMYT, the Clingendael Institute and Sudanese entrepreneurship development company 249 Startups. |
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The Director-General of the National Center for Disease Control, Haider Al-Sayeh, held a meeting with a delegation from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), led by the Director of the North Africa Region, Wissam Mankoula. The meeting was attended by the Center’s Deputy Director and a number of directors of specialised departments and offices. The meeting focused on discussing upcoming activities and strengthening cooperation between the two sides in support of public health initiatives in Libya and North Africa. The attendees emphasised the importance of cooperation between the National Center and its African counterpart in addressing health challenges both inside and outside Libya. |
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Nigeria has been strengthening its oversight of the sector since 2022, following years in which lending apps operated with few restrictions, charging high interest rates, and using aggressive collection methods. The new system has significantly expanded the number of licensed providers. Industry sources estimated the number at nearly 400 by July 2025, up from fewer than 120 two years earlier, although official publications suggest the figure could be slightly lower. The combination of stricter regulations and greater access to data is pushing the sector toward consolidation. Well-capitalised lenders, able to absorb compliance burdens while tapping into new revenue streams, are in a strong position. |
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Jorge Figuereido, Cape Verde's Minister of Health, and Ángela Gomes, national director of Health, received Aniuska Palacio Noa, deputy director of International Cooperation of Cuba's Central Unit for Medical Collaboration (UCCM), who was accompanied by Noslando Ramos González, head of the Cuban medical brigade in the country. During the meeting, both parties discussed strategic issues related to the signing of a new health collaboration agreement, as well as the request for and arrival of Cuban professionals to strengthen the Cape Verdean healthcare system. According to official data, cooperation between Cuba and Cape Verde in the field of health dates back to 1976, when the first Cuban doctors arrived in the African nation, just one year after diplomatic relations were established. |
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The Kenyan government is prioritising digital skills training to empower its youth for the future of work. This was the central message delivered by Cabinet Secretary Hon. William Kabogo during the Digital Youth Empowerment Programme at Belgut Technical Training Institute. He emphasised that equipping young people with these skills will enable them to secure employment from anywhere in the world. During a panel discussion, ICT Authority CEO Zilpher Owiti highlighted the progress made in deploying fibre optic cables and establishing digital hubs in Kericho County, urging entrepreneurs to take advantage of the free internet connectivity provided. |
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