Uganda men shine, women fall short at Ultimate Africa Pool

Uganda’s men’s team produced a sublime show of skill and composure at the ongoing Ultimate Africa Pool Championships, sweeping all three of their group matches to top the pool unbeaten.

The men began their campaign with a commanding 20-5 victory over Namibia A, followed by a narrow 15-10 triumph against Namibia B before sealing the group with an 18-7 win over Mchana (Kenya).

Team talisman Caesar Chandiga was in imperious form, registering a flawless five-out-of-five against Namibia and dropping only a single frame in each of the other two encounters.

Azali Lukomwa also impressed, losing just three frames out of 15, while Simon Lubuulwa battled hard but fell in two games on what was otherwise a good day for the Ugandan men.

Head coach Nathan Bwakosya lauded his team’s discipline and confidence.

‘The boys have been clinical from the start,’ he said. ‘I’m happy with the decision-making and composure,’ he said.

The quarterfinals will be played on Thursday evening before all games climax on Saturday. Last evening, the singles took centrestage.

Narrow miss

However, Uganda’s women’s team fell short of reaching the quarterfinals after enduring a tough group stage, losing to South Africa C (8-17), South Africa B (9-16), and Namibia (1-24). Their campaign ended despite spirited performances, as results elsewhere confirmed their exit.

Kenya’s hopes, meanwhile, lay on the shoulders of Fahad Farah and Collins Tuwei. Farah won his respective frame to level matters 12-12 before Tuwei clinched the decider after his Namibian opponent snookered himself on the black, gifting Kenya the eighth and final quarterfinal spot ahead of Uganda-despite Uganda’s 24-1 demolition of Namibia’s Windhoek Jackpot in a lopsided contest.

Despite the heartbreak, Bwakosya remained upbeat about the women’s and overall team performance.

‘This is a learning curve for the ladies. The competition is tough, but we’ve seen flashes of promise. We’ll bounce back stronger in the singles,’ he said.

The tournament now shifts focus to the singles events, where Uganda is expected to shine-particularly through Chandiga, who will face Africa’s best in pursuit of continental glory.

Ultimate Africa Pool Championships

Results

Men’s results

Uganda 20-5 Namibia A

Namibia B 10-15 Uganda

Uganda 18-7 Mchana (Kenya)

Women’s results

Uganda 8-17 South Africa C

South Africa B 16-9 Uganda

Namibia 24-1 Uganda

Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga dies aged 80

Raila Amolo Odinga, former Prime Minister of Kenya and the party leader of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), is dead.

Sources at his office on Wednesday confirmed the passing of the veteran politician in India, where he was recovering after undergoing treatment for an undisclosed condition.

President William Ruto and Mr Odinga’s family, led by his elder brother, Oburu Oginga, are expected to address the nation on the death.

The 80-year-old leader breathed his last on Wednesday morning in the southern Indian city of Kochi, with the Indian Press reporting that he suffered a cardiac arrest during a morning walk.

He was later rushed to Devamatha Hospital in Koothattukulam where he was pronounced dead, with the Indian press quoting police and hospital sources.

Mr Odinga served as Kenya’s prime minister between 2008 and 2013. He contested for the presidency five times – 1997, 2007, 2013, 2017 and 2022.

Mr Odinga flew to India on October 3 amid major speculations about his health status.

At the time, his secretariat said, ‘Raila travelled out of the country on Friday evening – one of the many trips he has made this year, and definitely not the last. He is not indisposed.’

Dr Oginga later confirmed that Mr Odinga had been unwell for a while, but was now recuperating in India.

‘Raila, just like any other human being, was indisposed a few days ago but at the moment he is doing fine. He went for a check-up in India and he is now recuperating,’ said Dr Oginga, who is also the Odinga family spokesperson.

Mr Odinga’s wife, Ida, had earlier claimed that he had taken a sabbatical leave from politics.

‘As someone who lives with him, I know his health better than anyone. How could someone who doesn’t reside with him claim to know more about his condition than I do? What I’ve shared with you is the truth,’ she said.

Mr Odinga has kept away from public engagements, including major political events by his ODM party, fueling the ill-health reports.

He was conspicuously missing in the party’s political jamborees held in Kisii, Wajir and Narok counties in the build-up to its 20th anniversary national celebrations.

He, however, made a public appearance after chairing the party’s consultative meeting on the planned celebration at the Serena Hotel in Nairobi on Friday October 3.

A party official had at the time told the Nation that Mr Odinga had travelled for a routine medical check-up.

The source explained that Mr Odinga has always travelled for check-ups following his 2010 head surgery.

He underwent the procedure in June 2010 in order to relieve pressure that had built up outside his brain.

In 1997, he contested the presidency and came third but retained his position as Lang’ata MP.

After the election, he led a merger between his party, NDP, and Mr Moi’s Kanu party.

He served in Moi’s Cabinet as Energy Minister from June 2001 to 2002. In the subsequent Kanu elections, he was elected the party’s secretary-general as part of the power sharing deal of the merger.

In 2002, Mr Odinga fell out with Mr Moi after he endorsed Mr Uhuru Kenyatta as his successor.

Mr Odinga and other Kanu members, including Kalonzo Musyoka, the late George Saitoti and the late Joseph Kamotho, opposed this step arguing that the then 38-year-old Mr Kenyatta was politically inexperienced and lacked the leadership qualities required to govern.

They joined the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which later teamed up with Mr Mwai Kibaki’s National Alliance Party of Kenya (Nak), a coalition of several other parties, to form the National Rainbow Coalition (Narc) that eventually defeated Mr Kenyatta in the 2002 poll.

He later fell out with Mr Kibaki and contested the presidential election in 2007, which was marred by Kenya’s deadliest post-poll violence. He was named Prime Minister in the subsequent grand coalition that was formed after the peace talks mediated by the late former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

He also lost the 2013 presidential election to Mr Kenyatta. After the Supreme Court nullified the poll results, he boycotted the repeat election held on October 2017.

He ran for president again in 2022 but lost to William Ruto. Dr Ruto garnered 50.49 percent of the vote against Raila Odinga’s 48.85 percent.

Move to decolonise medicine is spot on

President Museveni’s directive to Ugandan scientists to intensify research into local herbs and natural plants empirically proven to have curative properties demands our critical attention. The president opted to use the 20th anniversary ceremony of Quality Chemical Industries Limited (QCIL)-staged last week in the Kampala suburb of Luzira-to issue the clarion call. This, in and of itself, was a significant decision.

QCIL annually produces 1.4 billion tablets. While birthdays typically bring glitz, as well as distraction, QCIL marked 20 years of existence with a groundbreaking ceremony for a new modern factory at Luzira Industrial Park. The factory signals intent to introduce new production lines for tuberculosis treatments that will, ultimately, ramp up QCIL’s annual pharmaceutical tablet numbers to an impressive 2.4 billion. By any measure, the numbers are parade worthy. We certainly agree with the considered view of Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, the Health minister, that the numbers move Uganda ‘towards self-reliance’ and underscore the need to develop homegrown solutions.

The vaccine nationalism that was on full display during the pandemic when countries from the Global South like Uganda found themselves at the back of the queue was instructive. But also an important facet in the home solutions narrative, underlined by Mr Museveni, is the thorny but critical task of strengthening the hand of Ugandans that produce natural medicine. There is no shortage of such people. If the pandemic introduced the country to Prof Patrick Ogwang and his Covidex remedy, another concoction said to have curative properties for diabetes has captured the imagination of many post-pandemic.

The concoction is the handiwork of David Ssenfuka-a Ugandan herbalist with little or no formal education, who was handed down the set of instructions for production by his kin. We agree with the President that there is a dire need to prop up producers of such herbal remedies-whether they are educated enough to be called ethnobotanists or pejoratively described as herbalists due to a dearth of formal education. The need to critically examine the historical and cultural assumptions of medicine from the Global North with the view of incorporating diverse perspectives cannot be stressed enough. Indeed, we will take great strides to decolonise medicine if and when we integrate traditional and indigenous healing practices alongside Western biomedical approaches.

The key thing will be to underscore the need for empirical evidence to shield Ugandans from rogue elements who tend to be in the habit of selling snake oil.

The good news is that the higher-ups in Uganda’s health sector appear to be alive to the fact that peril and promise do live side by side. The National Drug and Health Products Authority Bill, 2025, tabled in the House on September 4, has drawn boundaries that move to offset the peril while embracing the promising aspects of herbal medicine.

The Bill describes herbal medicine as ‘any medicine that exclusively contains as active ingredients, one or more parts of natural organic or inorganic plant materials with or without animal or mineral material in a form suitable for administration to human beings.’ If its letter and spirit are effected, the decolonisation process could transform Uganda’s healthcare system to be more equitable, culturally safe, and inclusive. This will be no mean feat.

Mahama Secures Zero Tariff Deal For Ghana

President John Dramani Mahama has secured a trade agreement with China that will grant over 98 percent of Ghanaian exports tariff-free access to the Chinese market by the end of October 2025.

The zero-tariff deal, once finalised, is expected to significantly boost Ghana’s export earnings and position the country as a key trading hub in West Africa.

The breakthrough came during President Mahama’s participation in the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women, held in Beijing from October 13 to 14, 2025.

The summit, co-chaired by Chinese President Xi Jinping and UN Women, focused on advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment.

President Xi reaffirmed China’s commitment to gender equality, pledging $10 million to UN Women to support global initiatives.

President Mahama, in his address, highlighted Ghana’s progress in women’s leadership, citing the election of the country’s first female vice president as a milestone achievement.

He also called for bold, transformative actions to promote inclusion and equality across the world.

In bilateral discussions marking 65 years of diplomatic relations between Ghana and China, both leaders agreed to deepen cooperation in trade, green technology, and sustainable development.

‘Today, China is Ghana’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching $11.8 billion in 2024. Ghana and China are bound by a common conviction that progress is most meaningful when it uplifts all our people,’ President Mahama said.

He also outlined Ghana’s vision to become a global leader in green industrialisation, announcing plans to partner with Chinese investors in responsible extraction and local processing of key minerals such as lithium, bauxite, manganese, and graphite.

These partnerships, he said, would support the global clean energy transition while ensuring that value is retained within Ghana.

As part of this agenda, he revealed plans to establish a ‘Green Digital City’ spanning the Greater Accra, Eastern, and Volta regions.

‘This city will showcase cutting-edge technology in urban design, planning, and innovation,’ he stated, adding that an inter-ministerial committee and a transaction advisor will soon be appointed to oversee the project’s design and feasibility study.

In a follow-up post on Facebook, President Mahama described his meeting with China’s Premier, Li Qiang, as ‘fruitful and forward-looking.’

He said discussions centred on strengthening economic and infrastructure partnerships and supporting Ghana’s 24-hour economy initiative, particularly in agriculture, agro-processing, and value addition.

The two countries also agreed to enhance collaboration to curb illegal small-scale mining by implementing preventive policies and regulatory frameworks.

‘China’s collaboration has already strengthened Ghana’s energy and industrial capacity,’ President Mahama noted, inviting Chinese investors to explore opportunities in smart cities, renewable energy, road infrastructure, and digital connectivity.

President Mahama reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to its strategic partnership with China, describing Ghana as ‘the gateway to Africa,’ and extending an open invitation to Chinese investors and tourists to explore the country’s growing opportunities.

Tragedy On The Volta: A Call For Maritime Safety Reforms; After The Kete Krachi Boat Disaster (1)

Volta Lake, created in 1965 by the Akosombo Dam, is the world’s largest artificial reservoir, stretching across six regions of Ghana, Oti, Volta, Eastern, Bono East, Savannah, and Northern and serving over 4 million people.

It powers most of the region’s passenger and cargo transport, supporting fishermen harvesting tilapia and farmers moving crops like yam and maize to markets in Tamale and Accra.

For isolated communities like Bovime in the Oti Region, the lake is a vital link to schools, healthcare, and cultural traditions, such as funerals, which hold deep meaning in Ewe and Konkomba communities for strengthening family ties.

Yet, the lake has a grim history, with repeated boat accidents claiming numerous lives due to overloaded vessels, missing lifejackets, untrained operators, and weak oversight.

The story about the Kete Krachi boat capsizing on October 11, 2025, claiming 15 lives, including 11 children aged 2 to 14 and four adults is a stark reminder of these dangers. The wooden canoe, meant for 15 passengers, carried over 20 mourners returning from a funeral in Okuma to Bovime, a short trip across Oti’s waters. Operated by an untrained fisherman, the boat lacked lifejackets and had a damaged hull. Strong winds and currents, worsened by recent dam spills, caused it to overturn in deep waters. Only four adults survived, treated for injuries and trauma at nearby hospitals. Survivors shared heart-wrenching accounts of children clinging to parents, helpless without safety gear as currents swept them away, sparking widespread grief and calls for change.

The Center for International Maritime Affairs, Ghana (CIMAG), stands in deep solidarity with Bovime’s families, offering heartfelt condolences for the lives lost, especially the children whose futures were cut short. We share their sorrow and pledge to honor the victims through advocacy, relief, and practical reforms to prevent such tragedies.

While the Ghana Maritime Authority responded quickly with inspections and an investigation, gaps in funding, patrols, and rescue efforts persist, leaving communities like Bovime vulnerable. Families received no immediate counseling, relying instead on local churches and chiefs, highlighting the need for better support systems.

This piece examines the Kete Krachi incident, its root causes, and a clear plan for reform. It connects the tragedy to Volta Lake’s history of accidents, like those in Chinekope, Afram Plains, and Senchi, which show recurring issues of overloading and neglect, especially for children. Drawing on successful safety improvements elsewhere, CIMAG proposes practical solutions to make Volta Lake safe for its millions of users.

A Detailed Account of The Kete Krachi Incident

On October 11, 2025, in Oti Region, where few communities have paved roads, a wooden canoe capsized on Volta Lake, killing 15 people. Mourners from Bovime, a small fishing village, had travelled to Okuma for a funeral, a cherished tradition in Ewe and Konkomba culture that brings families together. The group included children and adults, mostly fishers and farmers facing economic hardship, relying on affordable but risky boats due to limited options. By noon, the mourners boarded a canoe built for a small number of passengers but packed with over 20, throwing off its balance. The vessel, made of low-grade wood common across Volta Lake, had visible cracks. The operator, an untrained fisherman, lacked proper skills and carried no lifejackets or safety equipment, a widespread issue. Winds and strong currents, intensified by dam spills, destabilised the boat. Unprepared and without a safety plan, the operator could not respond as the canoe overturned in deep waters around 1:30 PM.

Survivors described a desperate scene: children grasping for parents or seats, with no lifejackets to keep them afloat. Local fishers quickly recovered four adults clinging to debris, but 15 others, including 11 children, were lost. By evening, all bodies were found, and autopsies confirmed drowning, with some children showing injuries from debris. Survivors, treated for trauma and injuries, face lasting emotional scars, with no counselling available in Bovime, where families turned to church prayers for comfort.

The Ghana Maritime Authority acted swiftly, launching inspections and an investigation, but limited resources and delayed rescues by untrained fishers highlight ongoing challenges. CIMAG is supporting the investigation with technical expertise and survivor interviews, ensuring transparency for Bovime’s families, who mourn loved ones like a mother’s young daughter.

A Focused Analysis On Root Causes

The Kete Krachi tragedy stemmed from preventable failures. Overloading, with far too many passengers, made the canoe unstable, a problem in most Volta Lake accidents. Poverty in the Oti Region pushes families to use cheap, unsafe boats for essential trips like funerals or school. The lack of lifejackets left passengers, especially children, defenceless against strong currents.

The untrained operator, one of many without proper skills, could not manage the crisis or navigate safely, relying on local knowledge instead of formal training.

Harsh weather, worsened by dam spills, and underwater hazards like tree stumps added to the risk. Weak oversight, with limited patrols and funding, allows unsafe boats to operate unchecked. Wooden canoes, prone to damage, are common, and repairs are often unaffordable for operators.

Cultural traditions, like large funeral gatherings and school commutes, heighten risks, especially for children. Other regions, like Lake Victoria, have reduced accidents through better safety measures, offering a model for Ghana.

Volta Lake’s history of accidents underscores the urgency of reform. The 2023 Chinekope capsizing killed students due to overloading and no lifejackets. The 2020 Afram Plains disaster claimed lives because of poor boat maintenance and hazards like stumps. The 2019 Senchi incident saw deaths in high winds, with no safety gear. These cases show persistent issues with overloading, fragile boats, and risks to children, with few recommended fixes put into place due to resource constraints.

Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration Partnering for a Safer Volta Lake

The Kete Krachi tragedy reveals the critical need for a unified approach to maritime safety on Volta Lake, as fragmented efforts have failed to prevent recurring accidents. The Centre for International Maritime Affairs, Ghana (CIMAG), recognises that lasting reform demands collaboration with key stakeholders, including the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), Ministry of Transport (MoT), Ghana Navy, and Oti Region chiefs. By leveraging NADMO’s disaster response expertise, GMA’s regulatory authority, MoT’s policy leadership, the Navy’s operational capabilities, and the chiefs’ community influence, CIMAG aims to build a coordinated safety framework.

With NADMO, experienced in coordinating responses to incidents like the 2023 Chinekope capsizing, CIMAG can strengthen emergency preparedness. Jointly, they can organise community drills at landing sites like Bovime, training fishers in rescue techniques and aligning NADMO’s protocols with CIMAG’s safety outreach. Sharing data on high-risk areas, NADMO can help CIMAG prioritise safety efforts, building on NADMO’s role in past recoveries, such as the 2020 Afram Plains disaster, to ensure faster, more effective responses and fewer fatalities.

CIMAG can partner with the GMA, which regulates inland waterways under the Ghana Shipping Act, to enhance enforcement against overloading and poor vessel maintenance, central to the Kete Krachi incident.

By combining CIMAG’s technical knowledge of boat stability with GMA’s inspection efforts, they can target unsafe operators at sites like Kete Krachi, ensuring compliance with lifejacket and load limit rules. This collaboration extends GMA’s recent enforcement actions, with CIMAG’s policy recommendations amplifying their reach for sustained impact.

The Ministry of Transport, guiding national transport policy, offers CIMAG a platform to shape a proposed safety bill. By co-hosting workshops to gather stakeholder input, CIMAG and MoT can advocate for operator training and vessel tracking, ensuring reforms reach communities like Bovime. This builds on MoT’s coordination in past investigations, fostering multi-agency efforts for consistent policy enforcement.

With the Ghana Navy, responsible for lake patrols and rescues, CIMAG can improve operational readiness. Joint training exercises can prepare operators for emergencies, teaching distress signalling while the Navy ensures rapid response, addressing delays seen in Kete Krachi. CIMAG’s safety expertise complements the Navy’s logistics, strengthening rescue operations across Volta Lake. Collaborating with Oti Region chiefs ensures community trust and cultural alignment. Chiefs, influential in traditions like funerals that drive overloading, can partner with CIMAG to promote safety messages during village gatherings, encouraging compliance with passenger limits. CIMAG can support chief-led initiatives to monitor landing sites, leveraging their authority to reinforce safety where formal oversight is limited.

ECG Accra West Installs Smart Prepaid Meters At Wiaboman

The Accra West Region of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has begun installing smart prepaid meters for residents of Wiaboman, a coastal community in the Greater Accra Region.

The initiative aims to replace about 4,000 faulty meters and provide new applicants with MMS-compliant smart prepaid meters under the company’s Loss Reduction Programme (LRP).

According to ECG, the exercise will enhance service delivery, improve customer satisfaction and convenience, and help reduce commercial losses in the community.

At a community engagement with residents, the Acting District Manager for Bortianor, John Afanu, explained that the replacement exercise was entirely free for customers.

He added that ECG had been losing significant revenue in the area and hoped to seal the loopholes by replacing defective meters.

‘With the smart prepaid meters, customers can buy power at any time of the day at their convenience. The ECG Power App also allows customers to directly report power outages and challenges,’ Mr. Afanu said.

The Revenue Protection Manager, Dr. Mark Owusu Ansah, expressed concern about the high rate of illegal connections in the area, warning that such activities endanger lives and property.

‘Illegally connecting to the grid without recourse to ECG overloads transformers, leading to damage and costly replacements,’ he cautioned.

He further warned that individuals found engaging in illegal connections would be disconnected, surcharged for the stolen power, and prosecuted for power theft, adding that offenders could also be named publicly in the media.

Dr. Ansah also advised residents against using substandard electrical cables, urging them to hire certified electricians to prevent fire outbreaks.

Speaking on behalf of the community, the Assemblyman for Wiaboman, Samuel Mensah, welcomed ECG’s engagement and pledged the community’s support to address the challenges and curb illegal activities.

He said this collaboration would improve customer satisfaction while ensuring ECG receives the needed revenue from the area.

Present at the event were the Chief of Wiaboman, Nii Shantakplebi, local political leaders, traditional authorities, and community elders.

Residents were also educated on ECG’s recent digital innovations, including the ECG Mobile App and the shortcode *226#, which allow customers to check bills, make payments, and report faults conveniently.

I Don’t Believe In Polygamy – KiDi

Afrobeat star KiDi has said he has a firm belief in monogamy, insisting that love and relationships should focus on one man and one woman.

In an interview on Asempa FM, the ‘Lomo Lomo’ hitmaker revealed that his parents’ enduring relationship shaped his views on commitment.

‘I grew up watching my mum and dad build something beautiful together. They’ve been together for years, and that has shaped how I see love and family,’ he said.

KiDi clarified that his perspective is personal and rooted in his Christian faith, rather than a rule for others.

‘Muslims are allowed to marry more than one; Christians are not, so I cannot say what’s right or wrong for anyone else. What works for one person might not work for another,’ he explained.

The 2022 Telecel Ghana Music Awards Artiste of the Year said his family’s example instilled in him loyalty, commitment, and partnership-values he plans to uphold in his own love life. The new revelation has come weeks after KiDi was quoted as saying he is not a romantic type of lover.

Karaga MCE Allegedly Orders Nyensobga Power Cut

Tension has erupted in Nyensobga, a farming community in the Karaga district capital of the Northern Region, after claims that the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Iddrisu Yakubu Dasana, ordered the disconnection of the community from the national grid after it was reconnected by the Karaga Member of Parliament (MP), Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam.

Residents of Nyensobga community had been without electricity for months because of a faulty transformer.

According to Ibrahim Iddi, the community’s Assemblyman, repeatedly reported the problem to the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) and followed up at the district office, but to no avail.

He indicated that the community’s chief reportedly sent a delegation to the Karaga MP, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, to help resolve the issue.

The Karaga MP contacted the relevant agencies and a new transformer was immediately installed, restoring power to the village.

However, some residents have claimed that the MCE was angered by the MP’s intervention and instructed NEDCo officials to disconnect the community from the national grid until he returned from Accra to the community.

The NEDCo staff however refused on grounds of professional ethics, resulting in the MCE directing supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), to remove the fuse from the transformer, cutting power again.

Residents claimed that the MCE threatened them that they should not expect government development projects because the community had not voted for the NDC in the 2024 elections.

Residents of Nyensobga are therefore appealing to the Northern Regional Minister and national authorities to intervene, describing the incident as politically motivated and will greatly affect the welfare of the community such as farming, household needs and livelihoods of community members.

The MCE for Karaga, Iddrisu Yakubu Dasana, in an interview with DAILY GUIDE, refuted all the allegations levelled against him.

He stated that the transformer was procured by government through NEDCo, and that the Member of Parliament cannot claim to have been the one who purchased it.

‘The MP contacted NEDCo for the transformer while the assembly was also pushing for the same transformer, and finally government listened to our cry and provided the transformer, so the MP cannot claim to be the person who bought it,’ he claimed.

The Karaga MCE, noted that should the MP provide any developmental project in the district, the assembly will commend him for it.

Mr. Dasana called on NDC supporters to stay calm about the situation, assuring the community that electricity will not be disconnected.

NDPC Boss Calls For Fair Resource Governance

The Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr. Audrey Smock Amoah, has called for equitable and sustainable management of Africa’s natural resources to promote shared prosperity and social justice.

Speaking at the Equity in Extraction Conference 2025 in Accra yesterday, organised by the Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC) in collaboration with the Ford Foundation and International Development Economics Associates (IDEAs), Dr. Amoah stressed that ‘equity in extraction is not just an economic goal but a moral and development imperative.’

She said Africa’s vast mineral wealth, including gold, bauxite, lithium, cobalt, and nickel, must translate into tangible improvements in jobs, education, and infrastructure for local communities.

The conference drew participants from Sierra Leone, Liberia, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Sudan, Nigeria and Benin, and it was held under the theme ‘Equity in Extraction: Addressing Inequalities in Natural Resource Governance, Critical Minerals and Climate Change.’

Using the example of Ghana’s polluted River Pra, the NDPC boss warned that unregulated mining, weak governance, and short-term political interests have caused widespread environmental harm and social injustice.

Citing data from the African Development Bank and UNDP, Dr. Amoah noted that although Africa holds nearly 30 percent of the world’s mineral reserves, it remains one of the least industrialized regions.

According to her, only about 15 to 20 percent of mining revenues stay within local economies, leaving resource-rich communities among the poorest.

She therefore urged African governments to strengthen transparency, fair contracting, and community participation while promoting value addition, technology transfer, and regional cooperation to avoid remaining mere exporters of raw materials.

The Executive Director of IDEAs, Dr. Charles Abugre, echoed these concerns, urging policymakers to adopt a long-term, sovereign, and technologically driven approach to managing natural resources.

He warned that Africa’s extractive model, which is capital-intensive and externally controlled, continues to widen inequality and deepen poverty despite decades of mining.

‘Our economies grow poorer even as extraction intensifies. Poverty is rising, inequality is worsening, and environmental degradation continues,’ Dr. Abugre said.

He cautioned against ‘regulatory capture’ by foreign corporations and urged governments to reclaim ownership and strategic control over resource exploitation.

Turning to the emerging critical minerals sector, he warned that Africa risks repeating the mistakes of the gold and diamond era if it fails to invest in research, technology, and industrial value chains. ‘We cannot afford to be price takers again in the global green transition,’ he stressed, calling for patient, long-term planning to ensure minerals drive inclusive prosperity.

Delivering the conference’s welcome address, ISODEC Executive Director Sam Danso highlighted how poor governance and climate change reinforce inequality across resource-rich regions.

He noted that agricultural productivity in Africa has fallen by 34 percent since 1960 due to climate change, and the World Bank estimates that up to 35 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa could be pushed into poverty by 2025.

He added that adaptation costs in West Africa alone, he said, could reach US$50 billion annually by 2050.

Mr. Danso called for transparency, accountability, and fair benefit-sharing in extractive governance.

The three-day conference aims to produce actionable policy recommendations for governments, industries, and civil society, ensuring Africa’s resource wealth becomes a foundation for equity, climate resilience, and inclusive development rather than exploitation.

4 Caged Over Food Delivery Scam

Four persons have been remanded into police custody by a Circuit Court in Accra for allegedly operating a fraudulent online food delivery service.

The accused, Elliot Sotama Atsu, 20; Elijah Sotama Etse, 20; Jethro Atsu, 20; and Selasi Agboli, 21, according to court documents, created fake food delivery platforms mimicking well-known brands like Papaye, Pizzaman Chickenman, KFC, and Mawarko.

By doing this, they had unauthorised access to victims mobile money wallet and bank accounts, and managed to lure unsuspecting victims to place orders for food and subsequently made payment, but never received the food.

The four have been charged with conspiracy to commit fraud and defrauding by false pretences. Their pleas have been reserved as investigations continue.

The court, presided over by Her Honour Jojo Amoah Hagan, remanded the accused to reappear on November 3, 2025, as the police conduct further investigations into the matter.

The prosecution’s brief facts indicate that the accused were arrested by personnel from the Cybercrime Unit of the Ghana Police Service at their hideout at Haatso in Accra, following intelligence gathered on suspected fraudulent activities of some persons within Sogakope and its environs.

They are alleged to have engaged in fraudulent activities by creating fake online food delivery services platforms mimicking established brands like Papaye, Pizzaman Chickenman, KFC, Mawarko and others.

‘Unsuspecting customers who come across these fake portals on Google placed orders for food online and are instructed to make payments in advance through mobile money accounts provided by the scammers,’ the facts state.

The facts pointed out that after payment was made, the victims never received the food they ordered.

Twelve mobile phones suspected to have been used in the fraudulent activities were retrieved during the operation and will undergo digital forensic examination to assist in the investigation.