Burkina Faso Archives - AfricaBusiness.com

8Nov

By Joseph MainaNo Comments

Agriculture, Burkina Faso News, Kenya News

GMOs have lessened pesticide poisoning and improved yields in Africa, says report

A report by a top caucus of experts in the United Kingdom shows that many countries have benefited from improved economies and healthier populations by farming genetically modified (GM) crops. Most significantly, the low pesticide use associated with GM farming is linked to fewer incidences of pesticide poisoning among farmworkers—particularly for small-scale farmers, observes the Report on Genetic Technologies released in September by the UK’s Regulatory Horizons Council. In India, for instance, the report cites a 50-70% reduction in pesticide applications on insect-resistant cotton, which has led to significant health benefits for farmers. “It has been estimated that this GM crop helps to avoid several million cases of pesticide poisoning per year,” the report noted. “There have als...

17Sep

By Katarzyna RybarczykNo Comments

African News, Burkina Faso News, Main, Mali News, Niger News

The Sahel faces further destabilisation from the jihadi gold rush

Africa’s Sahel, a region separating the Sahara Desert to the north and savannas to the south, is notorious for widespread poverty and persistent conflict. In fact, Western Sahel, especially Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, is the most unstable area on the continent. For years, terrorist attacks have been a frequent occurrence but recently the region has been facing a new threat - a wave of extremist violence targeting gold mines. Groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State have been taking over gold mines and becoming increasingly involved in the informal gold trade. ‘More than 2m people are involved in small-scale mining in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger’, reported the International Crisis Group. As the NGO explained, ‘in total they dig up 40-95 tonnes of gold a year, worth some $1.9bn-4.5...

7Nov

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

African News

Sarama Resources announces $500,000 private placement

TSX-V Ticker: SWA SWA.WT VANCOUVER, Nov., 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Sarama Resources Limited ("Sarama" or the "Company") announces a private placement (the "Private Placement") for the issuance of 555,556 units (the "Units") at a price of $0.90 per Unit to raise gross proceeds of approximately $500,000. Each Unit will be comprised of one common share of the Company and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each such whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $1.20 at any time prior to 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on October 17, 2014. The Private Placement will be conducted on a non-brokered basis and is subject to regulatory approval. The proceeds of the Private Placement will be used principa...

6Nov

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

African News

IAMGOLD Fatality in Burkina Faso, West Africa

TSX: IMG NYSE: IAG TORONTO, Nov., 2012 /PRNewswire/ - IAMGOLD Corporation ("IAMGOLD" or the "Company") regrets to report that a gardener employed at our exploration office in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, drowned on November 1, 2012. The Company immediately notified all relevant government authorities and other stakeholders in Burkina Faso and is reviewing its safety precautions across the Company for its care and maintenance workers. The thoughts of management in Burkina Faso and throughout the company are with the family, friends and co-workers of the deceased. About IAMGOLD IAMGOLD (www.iamgold.com) is a leading mid-tier gold mining company producing approximately one million ounces annually from five gold mines (including current joint ventures) on three contine...

23Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

African News

Sarama Resources Commences New Exploration Season in Burkina Faso

TSX-V Ticker: SWA SWA.WT VANCOUVER, Oct., 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Sarama Resources Limited ("Sarama" or the "Company") reports that it has commenced exploration activities at the South Houndé and Banfora Projects in south-western Burkina Faso for the new exploration season following the finish of seasonal rains. Approximately 46,000m of drilling is planned for the first part of the season (to April 2013), including 6,000m of diamond and reverse circulation ("RC") drilling at the MM Prospect. Highlights 46,000m drilling planned across Sarama's properties at the South Houndé and Banfora Projects. Air-core ("AC") and rotary-air-blast ("RAB") drilling accounts for 55% of the total planned drill metres. 6,000m of infill and extensional drilling to commence at the MM Pr...

19Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

African News, Burkina Faso News

Burkina Faso: World Bank grant to support regional “center of excellence” serving engineering students from 36 countries

The World Bank’s Board has approved a grant of US$10 million to improve existing training facilities and house more students at the International Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. As many as 2,500 students will now be enrolled at 2iE by 2015, up from just 650 in 2009. The institute serves as a regional “center of excellence” for students from 36 countries, helping to meet Africa’s need for more engineers in water, energy, environment, and infrastructure. .Notably, 93 percent of new 2iE graduates are employed within six months, showing that their skills are highly in demand and closely matched to market needs. The World Bank, which supports greater competitiveness and employment in African economies, is helping 2iE to become f...

10Jul

By AfricaBusiness.comNo Comments

African News

Africa – Mobile Voice Market and Major Network Operators

Market penetration to reach 60% among Africa's one billion people in 2012 Mobile phones represent more than 90% of all telephone lines in Africa. Market penetration passed the 50% mark in 2010 and is expected to reach 60% in 2012. Subscriber growth across the continent has slowed to around 17% p.a, but several individual markets are still growing at 50% p.a. or more and others stand at only single-digit penetration rates. The continent's most advanced markets have passed the 100% penetration mark. Although the greatest demand is in the major cities, cellular solutions are also being employed to increase accessibility in rural and other disadvantaged areas. In addition to mobile networks, Wireless Local Loop (WLL) systems have been introduced in a large number of countries for the provision...