Togo’s Kodjo Looks To a Newer Methodology to Create African Unity.

Kodjo on Accra summit

Republic of Togo (Lomé)
NEWS
9 July 2007
Posted to the web 9 July 2007

Togo senior minister Edem Kodjo said Sunday the formation of an African unity government during the African Union (AU) summit in Accra, Ghana 1-3 July failed due to lack of a methodology.

Kodjo who served as the Secretary-General of the AU predecessor Organisation of African Unity (OAU) from 1978 to 198, said it was a great error to go into the debate without clear guidelines on how to set up the continental government.

“I had the feeling that in Accra we erred both through lack of an appropriate method and radical opposition on the part of certain heads of state,” Kodjo, who did not name the presidents staunchly opposed to the unity government project, declared on a programme broadcast live on the Togolese national television (TVT).

“No African head of state can argue that a continental government is not a good thing, that the United States of Africa is not welcome. There is unanimity on the need for both. However, we did not define clearly what needs to be done and at what stage,” he added.

According to Kodjo, 70, who has also served as Togo’s prime minister on two occasions (1994 and 2005), “what is very important, at this time when we must make the whole continent move and make headway, is to find the most convenient way to push the ideas (of a unitary government) ahead”.

Without siding with either camp, the former OAU Secretary-General said he regretted that in Africa, “we make no progress”.

“In the face of globalisation, the nation-state is in a precarious situation”, he added, urging African leaders to move towards “a big grouping that has its weight in gold worldwide”.

New African Agribusiness Opportunities At Retail Expo

New Agribusiness Opportunities At Retail Expo

Biz-Community (Cape Town)
NEWS
10 July 2007
Posted to the web 10 July 2007

Exhibition Management Services (EMS) is hosting the first exhibition and conference on agribusiness for the African market as part of the Africa Big 7 retail trade expo to be held at Gallagher Estate, Midrand, 15 – 17 July 2007.

Africa’s Big Seven (AB7) – the only event of its kind anywhere on the continent – attracts exhibitors and visitors from around the world. The expo is a continental clearing house where fresh and processed foods are displayed for export, specialty foods and beverages are marketed to Africa’s importers, wholesalers and retailers, and manufacturing, processing and packaging technology are showcased. The last expo held in July 2006 attracted over 7000 qualified trade visitors from 31 countries, with a substantial number coming from various agribusiness and food processing concerns in other African countries, all keen to do business with South Africa.

The agricultural sector is the awakening giant of Africa and significant calls have been made from the continent and elsewhere for a dramatic refocusing of attention and funds to support Africa in this regard. EMS and Agrifica have therefore joined forces to launch the first ever Agribusiness Africa Exhibition & Conference as a complimentary component of AB7 to create a business platform that will facilitate a rapid and significant intervention in the development of agriculture in Africa. Various project development and supply opportunities exist in Africa for local and international companies and the Agribusiness Africa Exhibition is the platform where business contacts will be made and networks developed that will start to change the face of agriculture and agribusiness in Africa.

This relevant event will focus on the technology and inputs necessary to make agribusiness in Africa work by linking needs to resources. This is done by creating a business platform that brings producers, businesspeople, entrepreneurs, processors, marketers, development and aid organisations together with equipment, inputs and service providers in contact with each other to stimulate and develop the business of agriculture in South Africa and elsewhere in Africa.

The Agribusiness Africa Conference will run 16 – 17 July 2007 and will focus on the themes Developing Agribusiness in Africa & Agricultural Technology for Africa. Presentations by leading industry experts will focus on the following subjects:

DAY 1:

Developing Agribusiness in Africa

Agricultural Markets & Standards

Logistics & Supply Chain Management

Project Finance & Credit Management

Product Value-adding & Processing Technologies

DAY 2:

Agricultural Technology for Africa

Macro Perspective on African Agriculture

Agriculture by Sector

Production Technology for Africa

Value-adding to Africa’s Production