Twenty African heads of state participated in the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7), which was held in Yokohama on 28-30 August under the theme “Advancing Africa's Development through People, Technology and Innovation.” The summit resulted in a three-year joint co-operation plan to move the Japan-Africa relationship from aid to business, and further increase Japanese private investment (estimated at USD 20 billion over the past three years). Read on

The Burkina Faso Ministry of Commerce has decided to protect the “Faso dan fani”, the famous African “pagne” traditionally woven by Burkinabé women. The measure aims to combat counterfeiting and unfair competition and to support local production by consolidating some 30 000 jobs in the cotton sector. It will also protect the cultural identity of the fabric. Faso dan fani means “woven loincloth of the homeland.” Read on

Dakar hosted, from 17-19 January, the third edition of the International Conference on the Emergence of Africa (ICEA), which focused on the theme, “Emergence, private sector and inclusiveness.” Organised by the Government of Senegal in collaboration with the African Development Bank, UNDP and the World Bank, the meeting brought together some 1000 African leaders, high-level personalities and experts. The conference shared best practices and took stock of the African countries’ progress towards emergence. Read on

African ministers gathered from 11-15 May in Addis Ababa to discuss the next steps in implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). “AfCFTA: Creating fiscal space for jobs and economic diversification” was the official theme of the ministerial conference’s 51st session. While Ghana and Kenya are the first two countries that have ratified the documents, Nigeria and South Africa have yet to sign the agreement. Read on