A database of 533 million Facebook users, including 44 million in Egypt, 39 million in Tunisia and 1,997,658 in Cameroon, has been circulating on the Internet since April 3. According to Alon Gal, technical director of cybercrime intelligence firm Hudson Rock, which revealed the leak, 106 countries are affected by the hack. All 533,000,000 Facebook data records were just leaked for free.
This means that if you have a Facebook account, it is extremely likely the phone number used for the account was leaked.
Alon Gal, technical director of cybercrime intelligence firm Hudson Rock
All 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free.
This means that if you have a Facebook account, it is extremely likely the phone number used for the account was leaked.
— Alon Gal (Under the Breach) (@UnderTheBreach) April 3, 2021
Data in circulation includes full name, phone number, Facebook ID, last location, birthday, email address, account creation date, biography, relationship status .
This information, put together in a database, is the equivalent of a huge directory. Currently freely available on the Net, they can be used by hackers. They can be used to carry out targeted attacks such as phishing, SMS or email. The Internet users concerned must therefore redouble their vigilance.
Troy Hunt, the creator of the HaveIBeenPwned.com site, recovered the entire database. It is therefore possible from this site to know if his email or phone number is there. To search, enter the phone number in international format, that is, with the area code.
If this leak is not the first in the history of the social network, t is however the largest with 419 million people hacked in September 2019 and 267 million in December of the same year.
The countries most affected by this piracy are Egypt (44 million users), Tunisia (39 million) and Italy (35 million).
Charles Rapulu Udoh
Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions. He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance. He is also an award-winning writer
Facebook data Egypt Tunisia Cameroon Facebook data Egypt Tunisia Cameroon
Ethiopia has extended the deadline for telecoms firms to apply for new operating licences by three weeks, to April 26, citing demands from interested companies to change their offerings to a “Covid business environment,” according to the sector regulator.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed
The Horn of Africa country has one of the world’s few closed telecoms markets, and is seen as a significant prize in an attempt to liberalise the economy.
Despite a six-month dispute in northern Tigray, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed forced through the latest licence auction and the sale of a 45 percent interest in state monopoly Ethio Telecoms.
Charles Rapulu Udoh
Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions. He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance. He is also an award-winning writer
For the 5th consecutive year, African women entrepreneurs can apply to the WIA 54 program. Launched by the Women in Africa initiative, through its endowment fund WIA Philanthropy, WIA 54 is the essential pan-African program to support and promote female entrepreneurship in Africa.
The African continent has the highest percentage of women entrepreneurs in the world. The female entrepreneurship rate in sub-Saharan Africa is 25.9% of the adult female population, which means that 1 in 4 women start or manage a business. In addition, women reinvest up to 90% of their income in education, health and food for their families and communities, compared to 40% for men. In other words, investing in businesses owned or managed by women can dramatically and sustainably transform societies.
WIA 54 Program
THE WIA 54 PROGRAM
Launched in 2017, the WIA 54 program aims to encourage female entrepreneurship in Africa to support this dynamic. The Initiative aims to support 10,000 women entrepreneurs by 2030, thus expanding its support this year to 540 business projects (previous editions supported 54 projects each year).
The selection campaign began on April 6, 2021 and will end on May 7, 2021. For one month, all African women who are disrupting the future of the continent are invited to are invited to present their companies and their pan-African ambitions to the Initiative, through WIA website: https://wia-initiative.com/fr/wia542021/
Following the receipt of applications, 540 finalist entrepreneurs will be shortlisted in 54 African countries by WIA and Roland Berger’s teams. Each application submitted will be examined according to specific criteria such as social impact rate, innovation; scalability of the business model, growth potential, and the execution capacity of the teams.
Encouraged and supported by the WIA initiative, the 540 finalist startups will benefit from an influence on the continent and internationally, a consequent networking with leaders and investors and a training bootcamp.
Then, a jury made up of patrons and representatives of WIA will meet to select the 54 winners from among the finalist entrepreneurs.
The 54 winners will be invited by WIA to a second bootcamp dedicated to entrepreneurship which will allow them to strengthen their projects in a more personalized way and will also benefit from a personalized mentoring program.
Charles Rapulu Udoh
Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions. He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance. He is also an award-winning writer
The Nigerian Government has once more extended the deadline for Nigerians to link their National Identification Numbers (NINs) to their SIM cards by one month to May 6th. The move by the Nigerian Federal Government for citizens to procure the NIN and link them with their SIM cards was first announced in mid-December 2020. A two-week period was prescribed for the exercise, but after it was clear that the time window was insufficient, the Federal Government extended it to February, and then further pushed it to April 6th.
The approval to extend the period of the NIN-SIM linkage was given at the meeting of the Ministerial Task Force on NIN-SIM data linkage held on Thursday in Abuja. The extension statement mentioned that over 51 million people now have their NINs with a significant increase in the monthly enrolments.
“Based on the updates of the NIN-registration process, over 51 million people have been assigned NINs. There are many people who have enrolled and are in the process of being assigned NINs. With each individual having an average of three to four SIMs, the total number of SIMs tied to NINs would be close to the total number of registered SIMs in the country. The current number of monthly enrollments has increased significantly to about 2.6 million registrations.
There has also been a remarkable increase in the number of enrolment centres across the country with about 3,800 centres available for enrollments. There are also many more new centres in the pipeline,” the statement said.
With this extension, it is expected that more citizens would be able to perform this exercise, but it also implies that thousands of Nigerians whose source of living depends on SIM registration would have to wait a little longer for business to resume as normal.
In the past, there have been calls and even lawsuits against the Nigerian government to either rethink how it is going about the NIN procurement process or suspend the exercise entirely. As at January, there were 47.8 million new subscribers with NINs, while 21 million subscribers were yet to obtain their NIN.
While about 51 million subscribers have their NINs linked to their SIM cards, critics say that the remaining 17 million subscribers may still not be able to get theirs linked within the next one month.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
A leading enabler of digital commerce across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) Network International has announced the appointment of Hany Fekry as Regional President – Northern and Sub-Saharan Africa in a move observers say is aimed at driving greater digital payments adoption across Northern and Sub-Saharan Africa. In his new role, Hany will be responsible for all aspects of Network’s acquiring and issuing business in Egypt and Nigeria, and for developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy to drive Network’s business growth and increase digital payments adoption in Northern and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Hany Fekry, New Regional President – Northern and Sub-Saharan Africa, Network International
Hany joined Network in 2016 as Managing Director for Egypt and Deputy Managing Director for Africa, leading the company’s business development activities across the Northern and Sub-Saharan region. Previously, he served as the Chief Commercial Officer of Emerging Markets Payments (EMP) Africa, which was acquired by Network International in 2016. Hany’s more than 20-year career has included developing business in markets including Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Nandan Mer, Group CEO of Network International, commented: “Building an effective payments infrastructure requires a thorough understanding of the needs of local merchant and issuer clients to address their pain points and build locally relevant payments solutions.
Since joining the team in 2016, Hany’s deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges in digital payments adoption across Northern and Sub-Saharan Africa has been instrumental in helping Network deliver customised and relevant solutions. I am confident he is the right person to strengthen our offering to clients, in addition to driving greater inclusion and building a stronger payments infrastructure in these fast-growing markets.”
Hany Fekry, Regional President – Northern and Sub-Saharan Africa, added: “This is an incredibly exciting time for Network, with tremendous opportunities to accelerate the positive trends in digital payments across the region and increase financial inclusions. I look forward to helping build a best-in-class payment ecosystem that will support local merchants and financial institutions, and positively impact the economies across the Northern and Sub-Saharan African markets.”
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
As the 2021 Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and The World Bank Group starts today, it is taking off on a rather somber note as global economic managers take stock of the true value of the devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic across the world. The 2021 World Economic Outlook (WEO) due for release today compared the impact of the global financial crisis to that of the COVID-19 recession and found that the pandemic had three times the impact on global output in half the time. The WEO sought to know how great the economic damage in years to come will be and what might be the lasting impact of the pandemic-induced recession on employment. It also highlighted how policymakers can help the workforce cope with the pandemic’s harsh and unequal impact.
IMF
On the After-Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Prospects for Medium-Term Economic Damage, the WEO examines the possible persistent damage (scarring) that may occur from the COVID-19 recession and the channels through which they may occur. Noting that importantly, financial instabilities—typically associated with worse scarring—have been largely avoided in the current crisis so far. While medium-term losses are expected to be lower than after the global financial crisis, they are still substantial, at about 3 percent lower than pre-pandemic anticipated output for the world in 2024. The degree of expected scarring varies across countries, depending on the structure of economies and the size of the policy response. Emerging market and developing economies are expected to suffer more scarring than advanced economies.
One sector the pandemic has had a major disruption is the labour market. The WEO devoted a chapter to the changes and challenges in the workplace. Titled Working Out the Differences: Labor Policies for a Fairer Recovery, Recessions and Recoveries in Labor Markets: Patterns, Policies, and Responses to the COVID-19 Shock, this chapter highlights that the labor market fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic shock continues, with young and lower-skilled workers particularly hard-hit. Pre Existing employment trends favoring a shift away from jobs that are more vulnerable to automation are accelerating. Policy support for job retention is extremely powerful at reducing scarring and mitigating the unequal impacts from the acute pandemic shock. As the pandemic subsides and the recovery normalizes, a switch toward worker reallocation support measures could help reduce unemployment more quickly and ease the adjustment to the permanent effects of the COVID-19 shock on the labor market.
The Outlook equally tackles How Rising Interest Rates Could Affect Emerging Markets. In that chapter, it notes that monetary policy easing by advanced economies early in the pandemic provided much financial relief to emerging markets. Looking ahead, a multispeed recovery from the crisis will raise challenges. Our analysis suggests that while a US tightening resulting from a stronger US economy tends to be benign for most emerging market economies, a surprise tightening triggers capital outflows from emerging markets. It will thus be important for advanced economies to explain clearly how they will implement their monetary policies during the recovery. The chapter’s analysis also suggests that emerging market economies can reduce their vulnerability to adverse financial spillovers by adopting more transparent and rules-based monetary and fiscal frameworks.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
HUB2, a startup based off the East African island of Réunion as well as in Ivory Coast, and which supports the digital transformation of major players in the African economy (mainly insurance and bank) has announced it had raised $1.8m from investment funds APICAP and COMPASS, and BPI Réunion.
This new fundraising will allow HUB2 to accelerate the development of its portfolio of innovative products and services, the primary goal of which is to significantly transform the payment and distribution routes offered by insurance companies, brokers, retailers, and generally financial companies, in the CIMA zone, made up of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea Bissau Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo.
“We have been working for several years to make insurance products more accessible to the African population through the digitization of premium payment and claims payment transactions via mobile money and bank cards. Partnerships with “phygital” distribution networks (in particular with Intouch Group) are at the heart of building our strong differentiation for the insurance sector, with the firm intention of becoming the benchmark solution throughout the region. CIMA, ”says Ashley Gauzere, founder of HUB2.
Ashley Gauzere is the founder of HUB2. Image credits: HUB2
Here Is What You Need To Know
With this investment, APICAP and COMPASS, joins its historical partner the BPI Réunion, to accelerate its growth and deploy its commercial offer on the African territory.
In 2018, Hub2.Io raised $295,000 Seed from Compass Venture Capital.
It also won the Overseas Innovation Competition, and the prize for the best Overseas startup at NxSe that same year.
HUB2 was also recognized in 2020 by the Federation of Insurance Companies under African Law (FANAF) as one of the 10 best companies offering digitalization solutions to African insurers, as well as by Hannover Re, the 3rd largest reinsurer in the world.
Why The Investors Invested
The insurance sector in Africa is entering a phase of profound change driven by an increasingly demanding context: new customer habits, significant competition and strong development potential. Digitization appears to be the next growth driver for insurance companies. Indeed, digital tools provide solutions to their main problems to conquer market share and increase policyholder satisfaction.
“As president of the French Tech community in Réunion, I can only be delighted to see HUB2 lead to this fundraising which marks a first for our ecosystem in the world of fintech and insurance. French Tech will provide all possible support to help HUB2 achieve its objectives by deploying as quickly as possible and thus promote Reunion’s innovation on the African continent,” says Manuel WARLOP, president of French tech Réunion.
Founded in 2018 by Ashley Gauzere, HUB2 is a Business-to-Business (B2B) solution for e-merchant in WEST AFRICA, that allows payment trough Mobile Banking, Credit Card. HUB2 solutions are mostly based on innovative payment technologies (Robotic Process Automation, Blockchain), to allow customers to receive their receipts and make their payments through various channels, mainly mobile money, bank cards and transfers.
HUB2 services are available in Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Mali, Guinea, Togo, Benin and Gabon.
HUB2 already provides access to more than twenty mobile money operators in 9 countries of the African continent such as Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Mali or Burkina Faso and wishes to open up to 11 new countries in 2021.
In 2020, HUB2 extended its expertise to integrations of payment solutions on physical terminals, notably by becoming the supplier of the exclusive distributor of Ingenico terminals in Côte d’Ivoire and in the sub-region.
The startup has also signed a partnership with fintech Intouch, giving its customers access to a large network of physical points where users can perform digital and cash payment transactions. Today, HUB2 is the privileged partner of companies such as Leadway, ASCOMA, or OLEA.
Hub2 is located in Reunion at the Village by CA, as well as in Abidjan where 8 people work on the development of the startup. The fundraising will also allow new recruitments to strengthen the current team of 13 people.
Reunion is an overseas department and region of the French Republic and an Indian Ocean island in East Africa.
The CIMA zone covers 14, mostly francophone, countries who have adopted and harmonized their insurance laws and regulations.
Charles Rapulu Udoh
Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions. He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance. He is also an award-winning writer
South African startup Sun Exchange, which specializes in raising funds for solar energy projects, has raised $1.4 million as part of a crowdfunding sale of solar cells from a storage facility solar and 1.9 megawatt (MW) batteries to power the packaging and cold storage facilities of the Zimbabwean agricultural company Nhimbe Fresh, a giant in the production of fruit and tobacco.
Abraham. Cambridge, Founder and CEO of Sun Exchange
“This is our largest crowdfunding and our first project outside of South Africa. It shows how people with innovative technologies can play a critical role in creating a more sustainable energy future by unlocking the potential of clean energy in ways that traditional finance cannot, ”said Abraham. Cambridge, Founder and CEO of Sun Exchange.
Here Is What You Need To Know
The investment was made through the sale of individual solar cells as part of the project, and buyers will earn rental income in cryptocurrency from the electricity produced.
About $ 1.4 million worth of solar cells were sold as part of the crowdsale, which was purchased by more than 1,700 people in 98 countries.
This is Sun Exchange’s first crowdfunding sale of a multi-phase solar and storage project and will allow Nhimbe to run entirely on solar power.
The solar project is part of Nhimbe Fresh’s plans to power its entire operation, including cold stores and packaging facilities, with solar energy.
A Look At What Sun Exchange Does
Founded in Cape Town (South Africa) in 2014, Sun Exchange, through its blockchain technology platform, connects investors (individuals and institutions) who finance solar energy projects with potential beneficiaries, who live mainly in the areas rural areas of the African continent.
You buy solar cells — the flat panels that produce energy when they are exposed to sunlight.
You lease them out to a customer, whose rooftops they will be installed. These are schools, hospitals, churches etc typically. Installation takes a few weeks after the project is fully funded.
The customer gets electricity from your solar cells and pays you for it. You just sit back.
How to buy solar cells on Sun Exchange
The process itself is pretty simple, especially if you have a credit card.
Once inside, navigate to the currently available projects. Choose one you want to invest in.
Choose the number of solar cells you wish you to buy.
Choose whether you want your returns in South Africa’s currency ZAR or BTC (Bitcoin).
Optionally, choose if you want to donate part of your revenue to a selected cause.
Place the order. You can pay with credit card, Bitcoin or wire transfer.
Charles Rapulu Udoh
Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions. He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance. He is also an award-winning writer
Sawari Ventures, headquartered in Cairo, has reported today that it had closed its Egyptian fund with new commitments totaling $28 million (EGP 440 million) from Misr Insurance Company, Kuwait Investment Authority’s Ekuity, National Bank of Egypt, Banque Misr, Banque du Caire, and Suez Canal Bank. The fund previously raised $41 million (EGP 650 million) from the European Investment Bank and a number of development finance agencies, including the CDC in the United Kingdom, Proparco in France, and the Dutch Good Growth Fund. It brings the fund’s overall value to $69 million (EGP 1.09 billion). Only Egyptian startups will be considered for investment by this venture.
Ahmed El Alfi, the founder and Chairman of Sawari Ventures
“Ten percent of the fund is earmarked for seed-stage companies through investment in Flat6labs vehicles. Flat6Labs Cairo will seed 80–100 companies and offer follow-on investments to 30–40. Flat6Labs Tunisia will seed 60–70 companies and offer follow-on investments to 30–40,” Hany Al-Sonbaty, the co-founder and Managing Partner of Sawari Ventures said, in a statement.
Here Is What You Need To Know
Sawari also runs a $70 million North African fund that supports startups in Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia.
It raised $35 million in its first close in December 2018.
What Startups Would The Fund Invest In?
The Egyptian fund would put money into both seed and growth-stage companies. Flat6Labs will invest in seed-stage businesses in Egypt and Tunisia, while the remainder of the fund (90 percent) will go to growth-stage companies with an average funding spectrum of $2 to $3 million.
“We try to cast a wide net given that in essence, this is a transformative moment in emerging markets tech with the rapid digitization of the underlying economy. So as expected, we’re seeing a great deal flow in the digitization of financial services, health care and education technologies. Also, given the engineering talent, there are unique opportunities in SaaS products, semiconductors and IoT, ” Hany said.
Sawari Ventures, founded in 2010 and headed by Ahmed Al-Alfi, Hany Al-Sonbay, and Wael Amin, is one of Egypt’s leading venture capital firms, with over 30 companies in its portfolio, including Swvl, MoneyFellows, Instabug, Si-Ware, and Elves.
“The Egypt based fund is a privately-held fund regulated by the Financial Regulatory Authority of Egypt (FRA), which allowed us to attract capital from top tier local financial institutions to co-invest with foreign capital from international development financial institutions, doubling our allocation to invest in Egyptian high growth companies to sixty-eight million U.S. Dollars, ” Ahmed El Alfi, the founder and Chairman of Sawari Ventures added in the statement.
“Our aim is to create exceptional returns through investing in knowledge-driven companies, which have the potential of bringing transformational changes to the Egyptian economy. The fund will support local companies with dedicated capital, in addition to quality expertise from our seasoned and specialized team, and the value add of our investors,” he said.
For his part Basil Heni, Chairman and Managing Director of Misr Insurance Holding Company, said:
“Misr Insurance Holding Group, as the largest non-bank financial group in Egypt, was keen on this strategic partnership with Sawari Ventures, the leading company in managing capital funds. The partnership is directed towards emerging small and medium-sized enterprises, which is in accordance with the group’s role in supporting this vital sector in the economy. This is evident in the fact that we own the largest share in the fund.”
According to Adnan Al Sager, CEO of Ekuity Holding, the Kuwait Investment Authority’s Egyptian investment arm:
“Our alliance with Sawari Ventures further strengthens the resurgence of the Kuwaiti investments in Egypt, partnering with a selective group of Egyptian institutions and investment funds, with the aim of contributing to the creation of scalable businesses as well as achieving the targeted investment returns.”
Charles Rapulu Udoh
Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions. He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance. He is also an award-winning writer
Nigeria has continued to witness a decline in passenger traffic at a time of optimism of a recovery due to the opening up of airports and flight activities globally. This sudden drop in projection is not unconnected with the ongoing squabble between the Nigerian aviation authorities and that of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which led to the suspension of Emirates and Etihad from the Nigerian airspace. A recent report puts the decline in international passenger traffic at 20 percent as a result of the ongoing spat.
Emirates Airlines
It could be recalled that the spat which has lasted longer than expected leading to the stoppage of flights from the UAE to Nigeria as a result of disagreement over the appropriate Covid-19 protocols. Dubai Airport authorities subjected travelers from Nigeria to more strenuous checks following cases of fake COVID-19 PCR test results coming from Nigeria. The Nigerian government preferred the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests over the rapid antigen tests which Emirates and other airlines seem to favour. Nigeria’s insistence on PCR led Emirates Airlines to deny many passengers from Nigeria boarding, a decision the Nigerian government fought against. This is even as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged governments to accept best-in-class rapid antigen tests following the publication of new research findings.
OXERA-Edge Health report, commissioned by IATA found rapid antigen tests to be most effective because the best antigen tests provide broadly comparable results to PCR tests in accurately identifying infected travellers. The BinaxNOW antigen test, for example, misses just one positive case in 1000 travellers (based on an infection rate of one per cent among travellers). And it has similarly comparable performance to PCR tests in levels of false negatives. In terms of convenience, processing times for antigen tests are 100 times faster than for PCR testing. Cost-efficient: antigen tests are, on average, 60 per cent cheaper than PCR tests.
According to IATA’s Director General and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac, international aviation would energise the economic recovery from COVID-19, adding that along with vaccines, testing will play a critical role in giving governments the confidence to re-open their borders to travellers. For governments, the top priority is accuracy. But travellers will also need tests to be convenient and affordable. The OXERA-Edge Health report tells us that the best-in-class antigen tests can tick all these boxes. It’s important for governments to consider these findings as they make plans for a re-start,” de Juniac said.
He added that testing requirements are currently fragmented, which is confusing to travellers. Moreover, many governments do not allow rapid testing. If the only options available for travellers are PCR tests, these come with significant costs disadvantages and inconvenience. And in some parts of the world, PCR testing capacity is limited, with priority correctly given to clinical use.
“Travellers need options. Including antigen testing among acceptable tests will certainly give strength to the recovery. And the EU’s specification of acceptable antigen tests offers a good baseline for wider international harmonisation of acceptable standards. We now need to see governments implement these recommendations. The goal is to have a clear set of testing options that are medically effective, financially accessible, and practically available to all prospective travelers,” de Juniac said.
This ongoing disagreement according to the Airline Passenger Joint Committee (APJC) has had a negative impact on international passenger traffic as the withdrawal of the UAE airlines has led a two weeks slump from projected 45 percent to a dismal 15 percent.This is not good for the Nigerian economy and the aviation sector in particular, says APJC.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
