the unbearable notice is; that you've to make up your mind to be the difference and not the other way round else people will misjudge you even though you're not that person.
About 2/3 of the world’s population consumes potatoes as its staple food and nearly 50% of potatoes are used as the household staple food or vegetable.
#Potatoes provide accessible and nutritious food and improved livelihoods in rural and other areas where natural resources, especially arable land and water are limited and inputs are opulent.
The crop’s versatility and ability to grow in a variety of conditions make it an advantageous crop choice. Potatoes are also a climate friendly crop, as they produce low levels of greenhouse gas emissions in comparison to other crops.
Potatoes are also a climate friendly crop, as they produce low levels of greenhouse gas emissions in comparison to other crops.
In the past decade, the global production of potatoes has increased by 10%, leading to growth in employment and income, but more work still needs to be done to harness the full potential of the crop to end hunger and malnutrition globally.
There are over 5,000 improved varieties of potatoes many of which are unique to their original location in Latin America
The 150 wild relatives of the cultivated potato show a wide genetic variation with a range of traits, including the ability to adapt to different production environments, resistance to pests and diseases, and different tuber characteristics.
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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivers remarks alongside Democratic Republic of the Congo Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner (L) and Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe during a Declaration of Principles signing ceremony at the State Department in Washington on April 25. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Of the three Gulf states that U.S. President Donald Trump visited last week, the United Arab Emirates struck some of the most spectacular deals.
Pledges between the two countries amounted to more than $200 billion, and following restrictions under former President Joe Biden the UAE will enjoy expanded access to advanced U.S. artificial intelligence chips.
Lifting these controls is a dangerous error, Alasdair Phillips Robins and Sam Winter Levy warn: Without them, the United States is
“placing the most important technology of the 21st century at the whims of autocratic regimes with sophisticated surveillance systems [and] expanding ties to China.”
InsiderNotes
The nexus between China and the UAE is especially apparent in Africa, where Emirati businesses are making green energy investments using Chinese technology and minerals.
The United States, meanwhile, looks set to retreat from the continent, with cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development and Trump’s tariffs pushing African nations to form new alliances.
Through the transactional lens that Trump is fond of,
Curtis Bell and Christopher Faulkner, of the U.S. Naval War College, write.
But the authors argue that U.S. Africa policy can still prioritize tangible returns through investments that build enduring partnerships, not through quick exits or one-sided gains.
Trump will have the chance to follow that advice as he meets with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in Washington on May 21.
South Africa is the United States’ largest trading partner in a region that is an important strategic gateway into Africa, yet Ramaphosa and Trump have not gotten off to a good start.
In fact, the diplomaticrelationship between the United States and South Africa has reached its lowest point since the latter’s transition to democracy in 1994, Imraan Buccus, a senior research associate at South Africa’s Auwal Socio Economic Research Institute, writes.
Much of the blame can be attributed to a Feb. 7 executive order awarding refugee status to Afrikaners that South Africa’s foreign ministry described as based on a “campaign of misinformation and propaganda.”
Ramaphosa has said that his country would not be “bullied” by Trump, but as he looks to reset relations and strike a much needed trade deal, the stakes for his meeting at the White House this week are high.
A Global Citizen from Nigeria, Jeremiah, reminisced on how the $Twitter crackdown impacted the community:
“The sudden ban of Twitter, now referred to as X, several years ago sent shockwaves through communities, significantly affecting not only individuals’ ability to connect and share but also disrupting businesses and revenue streams dependent on the platform.”
He added: “It highlighted the interconnectedness of individuals and businesses in the digital realm, where disruptions to online platforms can have far-reaching consequences on livelihoods.”
In 2024 Senegal is experiencing Nigeria’s history, as civil society organizations are taking the Senegalese government to the ECOWAS court regarding internet shutdowns that took place in June, July, and August 2023 as presidential elections were meant to be en route and popular opposition leader (and fierce critic of President Macky Sall) Ousmane Sonk was criminally charged and held in custody.
The blackouts not only limited the right to access information and the freedom of expression of everyday citizens, but it also limited the work of journalists on the ground.
Speaking to Global Citizen on the internet blackout in Senegal, the African head of the International Federation of Journalists, Louis Thomasi said: “Political interference is really putting a dent in qualitative journalism.
If you look at what’s happening in Africa all over, it is now a norm that during election periods, the internet will be cut off.
Even yesterday again [13 Feb. 2024] in Dakar, in Senegal, the internet was cut off.”
“It’s a deliberate attempt to suppress freedom of expression and media freedom in general,”
Louis Thomasi/African head of the International Federation of Journalists
Internet shutdowns and crimes against humanity
We’ve already mentioned that there’s an ongoing war in Sudan and the country has had its internet cut off several times in the face of the civil war.
Sudanese Global Citizen, Mazen, explains what having online access means to them: “Nowadays, the Internet means life.
It makes you aware and connected with the world.”
Internet blackouts in the country have heavily impacted people’s lives, but their impacts are a lot worse than you can imagine.
The loss of the internet has also meant that conflict-related atrocities can continue without being reported.
Advocacy organization, Access Now, has consistently kept tabs on the violent impacts of shutdowns in Sudan.
The organization noted that in 2021, the day before a pro-democracy protest was to take place, the internet was cut off along with phone and SMS services.
The protest continued regardless.
With citizens having no ability to transmit information inside or outside of Sudan, authorities took the opportunity to crack down physically on protesters.
At least 17 people were killed, and 250 people were injured as a result.
“The internet blackouts are doing their job and providing cover for the military’s violent takeover and hijacking of a possible democratic future for Sudan,”
“I have experienced natural disasters such as earthquakes, social unrest causing violent protests, terrorist attacks, all sorts of events that caused or forced involuntary internet shutdowns,”
“The one thing I missed the most in any of those instances was critical services and the ability to connect with my loved ones. This is what the internet means to me.”
Rwandan Global Citizen Gabriel
It’s futile to deny the importance of online access to people across the continent.
However, for as long as the internet exists, there will be ways to exploit it for the use of harm towards everyday citizens in African countries, and around the world.
Since 2011, the United Nations has called for universal internet access as a human right, however, this has not been implemented across countries despite the growing call for it
Right now what Global Citizens can do is remain informed about internet shutdowns and their impacts on communities, and spread the word about them so that their impacts do not go unnoticed and underreported.
As Earth Day approaches, it’s crucial to reflect on the environmental challenges we face and the actions we can take to protect our beautiful planet.
This year the Earth Day theme is Planet vs. Plastics, looking at the impact both on our health and the environment.
FossilFuel🚫
In this special Earth Day edition, we delve into the three main reasons why plastic is harming our planet and share actionable steps we can all take to make a difference.
The production of plastic is heavily reliant on fossil fuels
Most plastics can take hundreds of years to decompose in landfills
Plastic pollution poses a severe threat to nature, especially in our waterways.
Global Citizen
So, what can we do about it?
It can often feel like we don’t have a lot of control over the amount of plastic in the world, and that governments or companies should be the ones making the changes.
But change needs to come from everyone.
We all have an area of influence and control over our own decisions when it comes to things like shopping, or our homes.
And laws are changing! In March at the UN Environment Assembly, #175 nations agreed to develop a legally binding agreement on plastic pollution by the end of this year.
This hugely important resolution addresses the full lifecycle of plastic, including its production, design and disposal.
CustomerRights
Plus, lots of companies are making changes to the amount of plastic in their products, due to increasing public demand. So don’t underestimate what a difference consumer pressure can make!
Things we can do today
Step 1 – Reduce We’ve all heard the phrase ‘reduce, re-use, recycle’, but these are not all of equal importance.
The most important thing we can do is REDUCE the amount of plastic we use.
Synthetic fibres in clothing account for 10% of all plastic usage.
Step 3 – Recycle Finally, when we must buy or use plastic, we should RECYCLE it.
The reason this is the 3rd step is because, whilst recycling is preferable to incineration or landfill, plastic cannot be recycled forever (unlike metal).
So, recycling delays, rather than avoids, landfill.
What happens to our plastic waste?
When we act together, we can accomplish things that seem impossible to achieve alone.
Right now, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are under growing scrutiny.
Some companies are pulling back from DEI initiatives amid nervousness around shareholder activism and possible investor or customer pushback.
The So What
Highlighting the benefits of DEI to an organization’s performance and the wellbeing of employees is the best way to address this negativity, according to Nadjia Yousif, BCG’s Chief Diversity Officer.
“This isn’t about taking sides, but rather making the most of the opportunities to enhance business and societal value. DEI raises standards for everyone by improving innovation, performance, and the workplace experience across the board.”
INSIDERNOTES
DEI initiatives can boost financial performance, according to BCG research based on data from more than 27,000 employees in 16 countries.
Attracting talent. In a world where companies are reporting significant talent gaps, it makes sense to recruit from a more diverse pool. BCG research shows that almost one-third of people from underrepresented groups choose not to apply for or accept a position in companies that do not have inclusive work cultures.
Reducing attrition. Leadership that prioritizes inclusion in the workplace can slash attrition risk by 50%. That’s because employees who witness or experience discrimination, bias, or disrespect are nearly 1.4 times more likely to quit their job.
Increasing motivation. When employees believe that DEI programming is a corporate leadership priority, the number of all employees who are happy increases by 31 percentage points, while the number of those who feel motivated increases by nearly 25 percentage points.
Companies with above+average diversity on their management teams also report innovation revenue 19% points higher than companies with below+average leadership diversity.
“Diversity in business is not about hitting quotas, it’s about assembling the best teams with different backgrounds and perspectives. Just think about developing products or services, for example. A broad range of backgrounds and views will fuel innovation and be better attuned to the diversity of your customer base,”
Yousif
Now What
Measure the leading indicators of diversity and inclusion, not just the outcomes.
Approach DEI as any other business initiative, with KPIs that are measurable and have a set timeframe.
Review the success of different initiatives and learn from what works.
Keep track of your recruiting statistics, and ensure there is equity in pay, promotion, and retention.
It’s also important to measure employee inclusion to ensure underrepresented groups feel included in the workplace keeping in mind that this leads to higher levels of motivation, ambition, and retention.
Communicate what works–and what doesn’t.
Be transparent when communicating the impact of DEI initiatives to staff, the board of directors and/or shareholders.
Be open about areas where it’s taking longer to make progress, and where there’s been success. Using data to demonstrate the impact of DEI initiatives on company performance is the best way to address criticism.
Lead from the front. Senior leaders should openly and publicly commit to the importance of DEI as well as equipping direct managers with the tools to practice empathetic leadership.
Companies also need a clear feedback loop and escalation mechanism to quickly address any instances of discrimination, bias, and harassment that can undermine progress.
Influence your network.
Companies can influence a wider ecosystem beyond their own workforce.
They can expand supplier diversity, for example, and improve the customer experience (and revenues) through more inclusive product design or marketing materials that avoid stereotypes.
By embedding the importance of DEI into all aspects of a company’s operations, organizations can drive broader societal change often an element of organizational purpose statements.
“DEI isn’t a nice to have for companies. In an increasingly complex and competitive market, business leaders need to access and nurture the best talent, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual identity, or disability status. But it’s not just a business imperative, there’s also a moral imperative to ensure all human beings have a chance to flourish and thrive,”
Our World
Beyond the impact we can drive through our client work, we use our expertise, partnerships, and networks to catalyze change, amplifying commitments within industry and investing in diverse communities and customer segments.
The world’s single train refinery, the Dangote Refinery, has made an essential move by issuing tenders to sell its first two fuel cargoes for export in Nigeria.
The development is an essential step for the newly launched refinery, which has generated a buzz in the industry.
A Reuters report quotes three sources saying that the first cargo of 94,000 metric tons of sulphur straight run fuel oil, which Dangote has awarded to Nigeria, is due to load at the end of this week. Before 25th February 2024.
The second tender is for about 70,000 tons of naphtha, which three other sources told Reuters, with the tender started on February 05, 2024.
The development comes after reports emerged that the refinery was preparing to deliver its first fuel cargoes to the domestic market in early weeks today.
“Significant oil marketers in Nigeria had registered with Dangote Refinery to lift and distribute petroleum products from the $20 billion facility”
INSIDERNOTES
The Petroleum Products Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria said that PETROAN has been in talks with the refinery management holding on a conclusion to supply products from the facility as soon as possible.
The report outlined the seven significant marketers, including 11 Plc, Conoil Plc, AA Rano, Ardova Plc, MRS Oil Nigeria Plc, OVH Energy Marketing Limited, Total Nigeria Plc and NNPC Retail.
Adeola Yusuf, Energy Policy expert and Lead of Platforms Africa said the development is good and did say that the move will affect local pricing positive.
In another report the Port Harcourt refinery is set to begin operations after receiving 745,000 barrels of crude oil from #Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited.
The crude oil supply is the first to be made in the past few years due to the poor state of the plant, which called for rehabilitation and testing to ensure readiness for sustainable operations.
Port Harcourt refinery begins production after years of neglect Shell stated that the recommencement of crude oil supply from the BOGT to Port Harcourt Refinery is a significant achievement and a game changer for the industry and Nigeria.
The intensive preparations, partnerships, and dedication of both teams involved were responsible for overcoming challenges and ensuring safe and efficient supply operations.
According to Shell, the move will support the government’s plan of a steady supply of petroleum products to the downstream market and other associated benefits to Nigeria’s economy like the #150naira sale back from October, 7th, 2023.
FG gives oil firms in Nigeria strict orders on Dangote, other refineries as reported that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has ordered oil companies in Nigeria to supply about 934,000 barrels of crude oil daily to local refineries for the next seven months beginning from January, 1st, 2024.
The initiative is part of Nigeria’s efforts to ensure regular supply to local refiners for domestic consumption.
About 12 local refineries are expected to begin production in the coming weeks, including the 960,000 capacity Dangote refinery and Nigeria’s four refineries in Port Harcourt, 2 in Warri, and 3 in Kaduna.
The economic hardship in Nigeria has proven on over time that “while the seething nectar we drink inn harms no one else but ourselves” every institution from every sector is detrimental to this scourgerous failure.
45'MEDIA 