Category: Auto Guid

THE United States is moving to withhold 50 per cent of its aid to Nigeria under a new legislative proposal that ties continued support to measurable progress on security, civilian protection, and accountability.

The U.S. House Appropriations Committee approved the measure as part of the Fiscal Year 2027 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programmes appropriations bill, reflecting growing concern in Washington over persistent violence in Africa’s most populous nation.

The broader bill allocates about $47.32 billion for foreign aid and diplomacy, a reduction of roughly six per cent from the previous year.

If enacted, the proposal would require the Secretary of State to certify that Nigeria is taking ‘effective steps’ to address insecurity, protect civilians, and prosecute perpetrators before half of the allocated aid can be released.

Lawmakers linked the conditions to continued attacks by militant groups and violence affecting vulnerable communities.

The legislation also directs Nigerian authorities to prioritise support for victims, particularly internally displaced persons, and to facilitate the safe return and reconstruction of affected communities.

It calls for investigations and prosecutions tied to armed groups.

In addition, Nigeria would be required to match U.S. funding for supported programmes, effectively introducing a dollar-for-dollar framework that could increase pressure on government finances.

A committee statement said the bill aims to ‘hold foreign governments accountable for persecuting people of faith’, adding that assistance to Nigeria would remain restricted until ‘measurable actions are taken’ to protect vulnerable populations.

The proposal also places Nigeria under heightened congressional scrutiny, requiring the U.S. administration to notify Congress at least 15 days before any funds are disbursed.

The bill, however, is yet to become law and must still pass both chambers of Congress and be signed by the U.S. president.

Nigeria has previously rejected claims that violence in the country is driven by religious persecution, arguing instead that insecurity reflects a complex mix of terrorism, banditry, and communal conflicts.

Nonetheless, the proposed measure signals a shift toward stricter U.S. oversight of foreign assistance and could reshape bilateral relations if approved.

As interest rates continue to fall, bond prices have risen, opening a window for investors to take profits. But is this the right time to sell?

Christine Gatakaa, Head of Fixed Income Trading at Capital A Investment Bank, explains the relationship between interest rates and bond prices. She also breaks down how secondary bond markets work and what investors should consider before deciding whether to sell.

Kenya Reinsurance Corporation (Kenya Re) plans to expand into the asset management business in a bid to diversify its revenues and reduce reliance on its core reinsurance operations amid stiff competition from regional players.

Asset management involves investing money on behalf of clients, including corporates, institutions and individuals, to help grow their wealth while mitigating risk. Asset managers charge service fees.

The firm is already recruiting consultants to conduct a feasibility study on the planned entry into the asset management business, signalling its intention to formalise the expansion into fee-based investment services.

The reinsurer, long known for underwriting risk, now wants to enter an arena dominated by banks, fund managers and insurance-backed investment arms. It hopes that securing a seat at the table of money managers will turn its pools of capital into a stream of fees.

The feasibility study is expected to assess market opportunities, regulatory requirements, capital needs and potential business models for the new venture. Kenya Re is open to options such as setting up the business from scratch as an asset management subsidiary or acquiring an existing fund manager.

‘The corporation is seeking to engage a consultant to undertake a comprehensive feasibility study and advisory services for the establishment of an asset management subsidiary,’ the reinsurer said in a disclosure.

‘This initiative is part of the corporation’s strategic objective to diversify revenue streams, enhance shareholder value and expand into the financial services sector, specifically in fund and wealth management,’ it added.

Kenya Re is entering a space that already has several major insurance groups offering asset management services through subsidiaries, which focus on pension schemes, unit trusts and high-net-worth portfolios. Major banks also offer asset management services through subsidiaries or wealth management desks.

Market entry

The consultant will be required to determine the commercial, financial and strategic viability of establishing an asset management subsidiary and advise on the optimal market entry strategy.

In addition, the consultant will identify and profile potential acquisition targets and provide transaction advisory services, including valuation and acquisition support, should Kenya Re opt for a buyout instead of a greenfield setup.

The feasibility study will also explore competitive dynamics in the asset management industry, which is currently dominated by banks, fund managers and a growing number of independent investment firms.

If implemented, the shift would see Kenya Re move beyond its traditional role of underwriting risk for insurers to actively managing funds, potentially leveraging its large investment portfolio and balance sheet strength to generate additional income streams.

The move could also position Kenya Re to better utilise its investment expertise, as reinsurers typically hold significant financial assets to back their underwriting obligations.

Earnings pressure

Kenya Re’s push into asset management reflects a broader trend among insurance and reinsurance firms globally, which are increasingly turning to investment-related services to stabilise earnings.

Asset management services allow insurers and reinsurers to earn recurring fees while also deepening relationships with institutional clients such as pension funds and corporates.

Kenya Re has maintained a Sh839.94 million dividend despite net profit retreating by 11.6 percent to Sh3.92 billion in the financial year ended December 2025.

The reinsurer attributed the drop in profitability to underperformance in the company’s international treaty business and its operations in Zambia and Côte d’Ivoire.

Kenya Re, which is 60 percent owned by the Kenyan government, serves over 80 markets through its head office in Kenya, as well as three subsidiaries in Côte d’Ivoire, Zambia and Uganda. It said last year it was planning to set up a subsidiary in Tanzania and an office in India.

Betting firms will be barred from using influential personalities and past winners of large prize money, or face fines of up to Sh20 million, under proposed changes aimed at curbing the gambling craze.

They will also be banned from depicting betting as a source of income or associating gambling with success, according to the Gambling Control (Advertising) Regulations, 2026. The rules seek to rein in advertisements that lure Kenyans into betting with the promise of quick money or financial gain.

Those found in breach of the regulations face a fine not exceeding Sh20 million, imprisonment for a term not exceeding 20 years, or both.

A gambling craze, mainly among the youth and the unemployed, has forced the State to tighten regulatory checks alongside steep taxation on both punters and firms.

Ad crackdown

‘The objective of these regulations is to protect minors and other vulnerable persons from being targets of gambling activity advertisements and maintain ethical standards and the integrity of the gambling industry,’ the Gaming Regulatory Authority of Kenya (GRAK) says.

The popularity of gambling has surged in recent years in Kenya, driven by unemployment, which has pushed many individuals to seek alternative income streams, as well as increased internet penetration and mobile telephony.

A joint report by the Central Bank of Kenya and the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics shows that an estimated 40.4 percent of Kenyans aged between 18 and 45 years are actively betting.

The report further shows that they spend an average of Sh1,845 a month on betting, eating into their earnings and plunging some into debt.

Kenya has one of the highest shares of youth engaged in betting in Africa, with an estimated 76 percent participating.

Cost pressure

Tightening the noose on betting advertisements is seen as key to reducing the sector’s appeal, even as the government eyes additional measures to make operations costly for firms.

The State has proposed a new licence for key staff at all betting firms. Foreigners in such positions will pay Sh300,000, while Kenyans will pay Sh50,000.

Additionally, foreign shareholders or directors will pay Sh300,000 for a licence, while locals will part with Sh100,000.

If adopted, the licences will add to the operational costs facing betting firms, which already shoulder heavy tax obligations.

Currently, betting firms pay a 15 percent tax on gross gaming revenue, a corporate tax of 30 percent on profits, and income tax at a rate of 16 percent. They are required to remit the taxes daily by 1am.

Gamblers, on the other hand, pay an excise tax of 15 percent on every betting stake and a further 20 percent withholding tax on winnings.

Revenue generated by the Konza Technopolis fell sharply in 2025, largely due to reduced land leasing and delayed payments for cloud services.

New data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that the State-owned technology hub recorded a 19.6 percent drop in revenue to Sh202.9 million in 2025, down from Sh252.4 million the previous year.

The decline came despite total investment rising by 19 percent to Sh99.38 billion, with the number of investors increasing to 78 from 70 a year earlier.

Income from leasing land parcels, a key revenue stream for the development, declined to Sh49.8 million in 2025 from Sh76.1 million in 2024, due to low uptake in the Phase II and Phase III sections of the city.

The number of parcels leased dropped to 21 from 33, as available plots rose to 78 following lease revocations and the surveying of additional land.

‘The total revenue generated by the Technopolis declined from Sh252.4 million in 2024 to Sh202.9 million in 2025,’ KNBS said in its 2026 Economic Survey.

‘Revenue generated from the lease of land parcels declined from Sh76.1 million in 2024 to Sh49.8 million in 2025, largely due to low uptake of parcels in Phase II and Phase III of the Technopolis.’

Revenue from the Konza Cloud also fell by 16.4 percent to Sh126.7 million, weighed down by outstanding bills from client institutions, pointing to cash flow pressures despite increased utilisation of digital infrastructure.

Usage rise

Still, the Konza National Data Centre recorded a 27.6 percent increase in the number of hosted clients to 171, while storage capacity utilisation doubled to 50 percent following an infrastructure expansion.

‘Available cloud server memory, however, declined from 28 percent in 2024 to 24 percent in 2025, while available virtual central processing units reduced from 62 percent to 56 percent, reflecting increased uptake and utilisation of the data centre,’ the statistics bureau said.

Konza Technopolis is a 5,000-acre smart city project aimed at positioning Kenya as a regional technology and innovation hub under the State’s Vision 2030 plan.

Located along Mombasa Road, 80 kilometres south of Nairobi city centre, the development hosts a data centre, research institutions and digital innovation hubs, offering a special economic zone for technology businesses.

Some of the companies that have set up operations in the Technopolis include Kenya’s largest telco, Safaricom, and Chinese tech giant Huawei.

An American firm has lost its legal fight to salvage the proposed Sh468 billion Nairobi-Mombasa toll expressway contract after a tribunal upheld the State’s decision to cancel the project over the company’s financial and technical weaknesses.

The legal battle highlighted China-US rivalry after Kenya cited the American firm’s reluctance to work with a Beijing-backed firm as a reason for terminating the mega deal.

Everstrong Capital had moved to the Public Private Partnership Petition Committee seeking to overturn the rejection of its privately initiated proposal to build and operate the 419-kilometre highway, dubbed Usahihi Nairobi-Mombasa Expressway.

But the tribunal dismissed the petition, ruling that the project failed to meet key thresholds on financial capacity, technical feasibility and overall viability under the Public Private Partnerships Act. At the centre of the collapse was the investor’s inability to demonstrate adequate financial muscle after dropping construction company, Mota-Engil, from the deal.

Mota-Engil’s exit stripped the project of a cornerstone investor expected to provide both equity financing and technical expertise, raising red flags about the project’s bankability, filings at the tribunal showed.

Mota-Engil is 40 percent owned by the Mota family and 32.41 percent by China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), the parent of China Road and Bridge Corporation, which built the standard gauge railway (SGR).

American lenders backing Everstrong opted not to fund the mega highway because of the Chinese links in Mota-Engil.

A bigger highway between Mombasa and Nairobi has been on the wish list of successive governments aiming to ease congestion on the busy road to and from the country’s major port.

Filings at the tribunal show that Everstrong’s proposal had initially advanced to the project development phase on the strength of its partnership with the Portuguese contractor Mota-Engil.

However, documents later submitted indicated that Mota-Engil had exited the consortium, stripping the project of a key technical and financial partner.

The filings further state that Everstrong had not demonstrated prior experience in delivering projects of similar scale and complexity, and that the loss of Mota-Engil cast doubt on its ability to raise equity, with its financial position deemed insufficient to support the multi-billion shilling venture.

Mota-Engil has developed construction projects in around 50 countries, including roads, motorways, railways, airports, ports and dams.

Everstrong was aggrieved by the PPP Committee’s March 9 decision to reject its proposed project, claiming talks with the State gave it the confidence the deal would be approved, in what is referred to as legitimate expectation.

The firm argued that the authorities went ahead to initiate a separate procurement for transaction advisory services for fresh feasibility studies, despite Everstrong’s pending proposal.

In its petition dated April 1, 2026, Everstrong claimed the decision breached constitutional and statutory provisions, including principles of fairness, transparency and good faith, as well as its legitimate expectation.

It maintained that the actions of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Directorate and the Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) were unlawful, procedurally unfair, unreasonable and irrational, and in violation of both the Constitution and the Public Private Partnerships Act.

However, the tribunal noted that the investor failed to replace the Portuguese contractor with a partner of similar financial and technical standing, weakening its ability to deliver a project of such scale.

State agencies, the PPP Directorate and the PPP Committee, flagged concerns that the firm could not prove sufficient equity contribution or demonstrate its capacity to raise funds, a key requirement before approval of any PPP project.

‘The evaluation process was structured, multi-layered, and based on statutory criteria,’ the tribunal said, adding that the investor had failed to show any procedural breach.

The proposal had initially received conditional approval in 2023 and proceeded to the project development phase, where Everstrong was required to submit detailed feasibility studies.

However, the initial feasibility studies submitted in May 2025 failed to meet statutory criteria, prompting the government in July 2025 to direct a restructuring of the project from a greenfield highway to an expansion of the existing Mombasa Road corridor.

Everstrong submitted a revised plan in January 2026, but the tribunal found that the reworked proposal still fell short on critical benchmarks.

Authorities cited weak technical documentation, unresolved legal and land issues, and gaps in financial modelling as reasons for rejecting the plan.

The seven-member tribunal chaired by Stephen Odhiambo Anditi upheld this position, finding that the project did not meet the requirements of technical, financial, social and environmental feasibility.

Some of the agreements between Everstrong and Kenya coincided with President William Ruto’s visit to the United States in 2024, the first such state visit by a leader from sub-Saharan Africa since 2008.

Everstrong reckoned that the evaluation was rushed and unfair, claiming it was denied a proper hearing and that the outcome had been predetermined.

But the tribunal rejected this claim, noting that the process adhered to statutory timelines and that the investor had been given multiple opportunities to address concerns.

‘Following statutory timelines cannot, by itself, amount to unfairness,’ the tribunal said, adding that the firm had been granted extensions during the project development phase.

The investor also claimed it had a legitimate expectation that its revised proposal would be reconsidered after entering into a project development agreement with KeNHA.

However, the tribunal ruled that participation in the PPP process does not guarantee approval.

‘There was no clear or express representation that the proposal would be approved or proceed to implementation,’ the committee said.

Another major sticking point was the project’s cost structure and reliance on a greenfield model, which required acquiring land along a new corridor.

Officials estimated land acquisition costs at Sh12.9 billion, a burden that would be passed to motorists through toll charges.

Initial projections indicated drivers could pay Sh12 to Sh13 per kilometre, translating to more than Sh5,000 for a full trip between Nairobi and Mombasa.

The government deemed the toll levels unsustainable and opted to shift focus to upgrading the existing highway to avoid inflated land costs and speculation.

Everstrong had also sought policy guarantees, including forcing heavy trucks and long-distance buses to use the expressway to secure revenue.

Authorities declined to grant such concessions, citing potential backlash and conflicts with existing transport policies.

The tribunal further dismissed claims that a parallel procurement for transaction advisors indicated bias, ruling that the process was separate and lawful.

It concluded that the investor had not proved its case and dismissed the petition.

The number of people seeking modern birth control procedures in Kenya dropped by approximately 11 percent between 2024 and 2025, marking one of the sharpest single-year contractions in the country’s family planning programme in recent years.

Official data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that approximately 5.4 million people went for various modern contraceptive methods in 2025, down from 6.1 million recorded the previous year, representing a loss of nearly 700,000 users across all categories combined.

Modern contraceptives are medical methods used to prevent unintended pregnancies, and they are a cornerstone of reproductive health services globally.

These range from short-term options, such as condoms and oral pills, to long-acting reversible methods, such as implants and intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUCDs), as well as permanent solutions, such as bilateral tubal ligation (BTL) and vasectomy.

Access to these methods is essential for individual reproductive choices, as well as for reducing maternal mortality, improving child health outcomes, and supporting broader socioeconomic development.

Family planning injections, the most widely used method, saw new clients fall by around 11 percent, from approximately 693,000 to 618,000, while revisits dropped by about nine percent, from 2.6 million to 2.3 million.

Combined oral contraceptive pills saw the worst decline, with new clients falling by almost 30 percent, from around 294,000 to 206,000, in one year alone. Revisit numbers for this method also fell, by around 23 percent, from approximately 499,000 to 386,000, suggesting that repeat users are disengaging from the programme too.

“During the review period, most methods recorded declines, with uptake of FP injections declining by 10.9 percent in new clients and 8.6 percent for revisits. The uptake of combined oral contraceptive pills declined by 29.9 percent for new clients and 22.7 percent for revisits,’ the Economic Survey 2026 said.

‘Implants declined by three percent for new clients, while revisits increased by 2.4 percent. Progestin-only pills and sterilisation (BTL) also declined by 15 percent and 13.9 percent, respectively, for new clients, whereas vasectomy recorded a growth of 9.2 percent in 2025,’ it added.

These declines coincided with the suspension of US foreign assistance in early 2025, which cut off a significant source of funding for contraceptive procurement and frontline health facility operations. The USAid had long been one of Kenya’s largest bilateral donors in reproductive health, and its withdrawal left visible gaps across the supply chain.

A government report projected that the loss of donor support could leave over 6.2 million people without access to family planning services in 2025. This could lead to increased unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, rising maternal deaths, and a decline in the contraceptive prevalence rate.

The number of implant insertions, which peaked at around 714,000 new clients in 2024, declined by three percent to approximately 692,000 in 2025. Progestin-only pill use among new clients dropped by around 15 percent, from approximately 120,000 to 102,000, while IUCD insertions declined marginally by about 3 percent. Sterilisation through BTL fell by almost 14 percent.

Meanwhile, male condom distribution fell by around 20 percent, from approximately 638,000 to 510,000 users. Female condom uptake also declined, by around 35 percent, shrinking from roughly 26,000 to just 17,000 users. This raises concerns over reduced dual protection against both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, has described today’s EU informal meeting in Alden Biesen as one of the most important, noting that he is attending with eight specific proposals by the Republic of Cyprus aimed at strengthening the EU’s competitiveness and with the objective of reaching decisions with clear timelines.

In statements ahead of the opening of the meeting, the President said: ‘I consider this informal Council to be one of the most important in the European Union, an informal Council convened by the President of the European Council following the joint letter of 22 Member States, including the Republic of Cyprus, after an initiative by the French President. And I approach this Summit in exactly the same way as the informal Council we held last year in Brussels on defence and security issues.’

Referring to the importance of last year’s informal meeting on defence and security, he stressed: ‘That Summit was decisive in enabling us, within one year, to achieve significant progress, concrete progress, tangible results on defence and security issues, which we had been discussing for decades without ever producing results.’

As he noted, the same approach should be followed at today’s meeting. ‘I hope that today’s meeting will lead to concrete decisions with timelines, in order to strengthen the competitiveness of the EU, something on which we all agree. I am attending the informal Council with eight specific proposals by the Republic of Cyprus, across all areas, horizontally, to strengthen the competitiveness of the EU and, by extension, of the member states,’ he said.

President Christodoulides underlined that strengthening competitiveness is a key priority of the Cypriot Presidency, within the framework of strengthening the EU’s strategic autonomy. ‘We cannot speak about strengthening strategic autonomy without being strong in terms of competitiveness – and within this framework, all files, legislative and otherwise, that are before the Cyprus Presidency have been given particular priority,’ he stressed. The President noted that significant decisions are expected during the Cyprus Presidency, reiterating that this informal Council must open the way for concrete decisions. We have had enough discussions; we all agree on the objective; it is time for results,” he said.

Regarding his contacts on the sidelines of the meeting, President Christodoulides said that he will meet with Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in order to be briefed on yesterday’s meeting and discussions he held with the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He also said that mainly the Mediterranean EU member states will discuss ‘a common approach regarding the invitation by the US President for next week in Washington’.

As he explained, the initiative mainly concerns the issue of Gaza. ‘Mediterranean states, because as you understand we have a particular sensitivity, a particular interest in the issue of Gaza. The Republic of Cyprus, in fact, during the Summit that took place in Egypt, in the presence of the US President, submitted specific proposals for the implementation of aspects of the US President’s proposal,’ he said. He went on to say that the Mediterranean states will discuss matters ‘so that we have a common approach regarding participation, the level of participation – we are always referring to the aspect concerning Gaza.’

Replying to a question on what he considers to be the top aspect of competitiveness, the President said: ‘There must finally be completion of the Single Market. And the European Union has enormous prospects. We are talking about a market of 450 million people. We have enormous strength as a European Union and we must communicate this strength. That is one aspect.’

He also referred to trade agreements. ‘Another aspect is free trade agreements – what was done with India should move forward with the United Arab Emirates, and should move forward with Australia.’ He placed particular emphasis on deregulation as well: ‘Beyond that, we must dare to look at deregulation as well. It is not only about introducing regulations. Those regulations that offer nothing should not simply be amended; they should be abolished,’ he said

In this context, he referred to the contacts he had with European and Cypriot organisations ahead of today’s informal meeting: ‘Before this meeting and also in the context of our Presidency, I had meetings with European organisations, professional organisations, organisations of industrialists and employers, with BusinessEurope, with Eurochambers, with the corresponding Cypriot bodies, the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with OEB, and I am coming here, as I mentioned earlier, with eight specific proposals.’

As he said, competitiveness should remain a standing item on the European agenda, ‘horizontally’, until the end of 2026, ‘precisely so that we can see progress, where problems exist. There must be specific timelines. And I am optimistic, taking into account what happened last year at the informal meeting we held on defence and security issues.’

As regards to SAFE and the approval of the Cypriot plan yesterday, Christodoulides stated: ‘We have before us an important financial instrument. I am pleased that the Republic of Cyprus is among the first Member States, and this demonstrates the significant work we have done internally, that the amount of pound 1.2 billion in relation to the Republic of Cyprus has been approved, and this is an indication of the correct work that was carried out in Cyprus, and that we are among the first Member States for which the relevant amount has been approved.’

Replying to a question by CNA on the issue of common debt and whether it should be placed on the table as a tool to enhance competitiveness, or whether it should be a last resort for financing actions, the President said: ‘The position of the Republic of Cyprus is that we must have an out-of-the-box discussion. Nothing should be excluded from the table of discussions. Everything must be placed on the table of discussions, so that we can conclude what issues we will move forward with immediately, then in the medium term and in the long term, how we can achieve quick wins, quick changes, in order to send a message to our citizens.”

“The areas are very specific,’ he added, citing as a priority the completion of the Single Market and, secondly, the cost of energy, which should ‘be uniform across all EU Member States’. According to the President, ‘there are issues on which we can have decisions and results immediately. There are issues that we will examine in the medium and long term. But I repeat, we must have an out-of-the-box discussion with all issues on the table.’

Referring to the meeting of the 22 member states, the so-called ‘friends of competitiveness’, the President said that this initiative was launched by the German Chancellor, the Italian Prime Minister and the Belgian Prime Minister. As he noted, ‘this is indicative of how this issue concerns almost all EU member states’, while also underlining the role of the European Commission in the process.

‘We want to work together with the Commission. It was important that the President of the Commission was there so that we could move forward in a very concrete way. Therefore, it was, if you like, a preparatory stage of the discussion we will have today,’ he added.

Crucial social policy and employment issues will be discussed during the informal meeting of EU Ministers of Employment and Social Affairs (EPSCO), which is taking place in Nicosia on Thursday and Friday, according to an announcement by the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU 2026.

It is noted that on Thursday afternoon the Ministers will take part in a cultural event in Larnaca, while the main part of the meeting will take place tomorrow, Friday, in Nicosia.

‘The European ministers will discuss crucial social policy and employment issues,’ it said.

‘Regarding the Social Pillar, the meeting is expected to strengthen the dialogue on social cohesion, the eradication of poverty in Europe and the strengthening of Long-Term Care and active ageing, contributing to the formulation of policies that promote the well-being of citizens in the European Union,’ it said.

Discussions in the afternoon session will focus on the first-ever European Anti-Poverty Strategy aiming to strengthen social protection policies in the EU, address social inequalities and promote social inclusion, as well as the cooperation of Member States for the implementation of the strategy, it is added.

Furthermore, it said, in the session on Person-Centered Long-Term Care as a Driver of Active Ageing, the need to transition to care systems that enhance the autonomy, social inclusion and quality of life of the elderly will be highlighted, contributing to a fairer and more inclusive Europe.

The meeting will conclude with a press conference featuring the Minister of Labour and Social Insurance, Marinos Moushouttas, the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, Clea Hadjistephanou Papaellina, and the Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, Roxana Mînzatu.

European University Cyprus: Cyprus Best WorkplacesS for Women 2026

European University Cyprus (EUC) has been recognised as Cyprus Best WorkplacesS for Women 2026 by the international organisation Great Place to Work®, reaffirming its strong and sustained commitment to gender equality, inclusive leadership, and the implementation of measurable equality policies within higher education in Cyprus.

The distinction is based on rigorous, data-driven criteria evaluating:

fair treatment and equal opportunities

representation of women in leadership positions

pay equity and merit-based promotions

work-life balance

overall levels of trust within the workplace environment

What Does the Best WorkplacesS for Women Recognition Mean for EUC?

At European University Cyprus, women play a decisive role across all levels of the institution. From executive leadership and administration to academic excellence and research innovation, their contribution is a cornerstone of the University’s continued development.

The Director of Human Resources at EUC, Ms. Loukia Polygerinou-Tzyrka, stated: ‘At European University Cyprus, we prioritise the wellbeing and professional advancement of women. This recognition confirms our ongoing commitment to maintaining a workplace environment grounded in respect, equality, and equal opportunity. We continue to invest in creating conditions that inspire and empower our people.’

She added: ‘Gender equality is not a standalone initiative, but part of a broader framework of sustainable governance and institutional responsibility.’

As one of the leading universities in Cyprus, EUC offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes across seven Schools, serving a student community of over 12,600 students from 80 countries worldwide.

European University Cyprus is a Great Place to Work®

The Cyprus Best WorkplacesS for Women 2026 distinction, together with EUC’s Great Place to Work® certification, further strengthens its position as an employer of choice in Cyprus.

In 2025, EUC was also certified by the Department of Labour Relations of the Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance for implementing best practices in gender equality in the workplace. The certification recognises organisations that integrate equality culture through non-discriminatory human resource management processes, including recruitment and promotion, training and evaluation, compensation policies, work-life balance measures, and policies for the prevention and management of harassment.

In an evolving academic and professional landscape, European University Cyprus demonstrates that excellence extends beyond teaching and research, it also encompasses fostering a fair, inclusive, and growth-oriented working environment.