Opinions

In the past 19 years, the world has been celebrating the International Youth Day as a strategy for achieving youth inclusion; however, the annual global youth day leaves much to be desired, with so many questions left unanswered       On August 12, the global community namely intergovernmental agencies…

One year into the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the epidemic is accelerating. There have been more new cases in the last three months than the previous nine – an average of 84 new cases a week – and more than 1,700 people have now died.    …

Last year, UN member states endorsed two landmark “compacts” designed to improve the global response to refugees and migration. Unfortunately, both accords had one glaring omission: internally displaced persons, or IDPs. A staggering 41.3 million people are displaced within their own countries, with many living in dilapidated shelter, lacking sufficient…

Despite making up more than 40% of the agricultural workforce, women often do not benefit as much from the business end of the value chain where there are the most opportunities for income generation.     Women in rural Africa are among the most entrepreneurial people in the world, constantly…

African colleagues have asked me why Rwanda, a tiny country of 12 million people, has more political opponents living in exile than, say Uganda of 43 million, Kenya of 50 million or even Nigeria with almost 200 million people? Why do you put politicians in jail?   I said to…

“There is none amongst you, who plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, but is regarded as a charitable gift for him.” – Sahih al-Bukhari 2320, Book 41, Hadith 1 Vol. 3, Book 39, Hadith 513    …

The road to UHC is different for every country, but civil society leadership is central to bringing the voices of the people—including girls and women—to policy development processes. Universal Health Coverage (UHC), the idea that everyone everywhere should have access to good quality, affordable health services, is one of the…

The effects of climate change are manifesting all over the world, evident in wildfires and hurricanes including the recent cyclones in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Tanzania, which have left thousands dead, millions displaced and billions of dollars’ worth of property destroyed.     The major argument about climate change on…

Humanitarian disasters have led to an unprecedented level of forced displacement.   The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reports more displaced persons now than at any time since the end of the Second World War. We are witnessing, as never before, large movements of people, which demonstrate how interconnected…

Access to finance and infrastructure funding can help Africa’s economic development journey. Islamic finance can increase access to finance and can help bridge the infrastructure gap in Africa.   The G20’s German Presidency introduced a new initiative for sustainable economic development in Africa known as the G20 African Partnership. The partnership offers…