Latest news with #Ethiopia-based
Forbes
08-04-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Why Western Nations Should Care About Africa's E-Transport Endeavors
Electric motorbikes are the new trend among many African countries. The movement will lead to ... More sustainable development, new jobs, and less reliance on fossil fuels. Global tension has not been this high in decades—the result of regional conflicts and Donald Trump's enactment of international tariffs. The noise has drowned out Africa's challenges, which center on job creation and climate change. Africa offers a glimmer of hope for both its people and the most advanced nations. Several African countries are taking a bold approach to electric vehicle adoption, skipping the traditional automotive infrastructure and going straight to more sustainable models. The development is crucial as countries replace dirtier, older cars with newer, cleaner alternatives. Countries can start small and scale up. In the case of Africa, electrifying the transport sector has begun with two-wheelers—the first step to getting countries promote all-electric cars. Indeed, motorbikes have made a big impression on many African countries. While the bikes require customers to make an upfront investment, they pay for themselves through time saved, lower energy costs, and competitive financing. To be exact, the e-bikes replace gasoline-fueled bikes and long, crowded trips on minivans. 'When the driver moves from gasoline to electric transport, their operating costs are reduced by 20%,' says Yuma Sasaki, founder of Ethiopia-based Dodai, which provides e-mobility access. 'It's the same ratio if the driver moves from a gasoline-fueled scooter to an electric bike. This shift is happening. In Ethiopia, the government has banned fuel imports. Electricity is, therefore, cheaper. That's why there are now 150,000 EVs on Ethiopia's roads; there are 1.2 million cars in all.' Ethiopia is uncommon because hydropower makes up 95% of its electricity. That means the charging is totally clean, unlike other countries where fossil fuels provide the electricity to power EVs. Poor air quality is a major issue in Ethiopia. The government is trying to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and build more green stuff, but Sasaki told me in a Zoom call that people are actually getting behind it because it makes financial sense. These e-bikes can go 70 kilometers on a single charge, and Dodai will swap out the batteries. They cost around $1,800 with batteries. So far, they've sold about 850 of these e-bikes, and they're hoping to sell 5,000 more by the end of the year. They're especially targeting gig-economy workers like delivery drivers. 'While the United States and Europe prioritize climate change, Ethiopian citizens need the most economic solution to survive,' says Sasaki, who founded Dodai in 2022. 'That happens to be e-mobility.' African women working in modern Spiro's e-mobility manufacturing facility in Kenya. The e-motorbikes ... More are fast becoming the way to traverse many African streets. The same trend is happening throughout the continent, including Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, Togo, Benin, and Uganda. For example, Kenya has recently enacted an EV policy, designed to help replace old cars and bikes that run on gas. The government wants 5% of all new cars to be electric this year. That's according to Kaushik Burman, the chief executive of Spiro, an African electric vehicle company that provides e-mobility throughout the continent. It has a manufacturing facility in Nairobi, Kenya. He explained to me that the African shift to e-motorbikes will ripple internationally. If local Africans have access to clean and reliable transportation, they can unlock greater educational and economic opportunities. It also draws in investors, whether they're interested in energy, businesses, or infrastructure. Indeed, e-mobility has the potential to upgrade African economies, offering sustainable development, 21st Century jobs, and less reliance on fossil fuels. Trump may not think globally, but he's keenly interested in economic opportunities that can bring in profits and jobs. Reducing emissions isn't really on his mind unless there's some money involved. But here's the thing: they're actually linked together. The key is to see Africa as a place to invest in agriculture, infrastructure, medicine, technology, manufacturing, and energy. If that happens, it will create positive economic and environmental results. Multinational corporations are now focusing on the well-being of their communities and employees, not just their shareholders. This approach is called the 'triple bottom line,' which considers the environment, people, and profits. Ignoring this can hurt a company's reputation. Companies like Cisco, Oracle, and IBM lead the way in sustainability, especially in Africa. "We are trying to achieve a complete transformation of the EV sector," says Burman. "Almost every African government is importing fossil fuels, which has a secondary impact on health. Technology is the great equalizer; irrespective of the existing baggage and legacy, we can leapfrog to the future. We are also hiring local talent, which is having a high social impact." Since its inception in 2019, Spiro has sold 30,000 e-bikes. The package includes battery swaps, which allows customers to exchange their fully discharged batteries for fully charged ones. To date, the company has completed 17 million battery exchanges, which has helped prevent 35,000 tons of CO2 emissions. Spiro is replacing gasoline-fueled bikes—investments that pay for themselves within 18 months. The company plans to build manufacturing facilities in more countries and expand into a dozen African markets by the end of the year. Africa's electrification is super important—it could power homes, businesses, and transportation. Imagine if e-motorbikes became the norm on the continent. People would have a cheap and easy way to get to work or school, which might encourage international companies to fund new clean energy endeavors. If Africa does well, the whole world benefits—whether it is by meeting global climate targets or creating new economic partnerships. Electric motorbikes are the new trend among many African countries. The movement will lead to ... More sustainable development, new jobs, and less reliance on fossil fuels. Africa Gets The Green Light
Bloomberg
07-04-2025
- Health
- Bloomberg
Trump Cuts See Main African Health Agency Turn to Local Funding
The public health agency of the African Union, which oversees the continent's response to disease outbreaks, said governments will need to turn to taxes and the private sector to fill the hole left by the cancellation of billions of dollars of American aid. The Ethiopia-based Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said funding is needed as an 'unprecedented financing crisis,' threatens to undermine pandemic preparedness, maternal and child health services and disease control programs. And that's all on the continent with the highest disease burden.
Voice of America
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Voice of America
Fact-checkers in Ethiopia take on disinformation amid rising tensions
As tensions flared between Somalia and Ethiopia last year, social media became a breeding ground for misinformation. One video falsely claiming to show Egyptian troops training in Somalia gained 34,000 views on the social media platform X. But fact-checkers were able to prove the footage was old and unrelated to the current tensions. The case was not an isolated incident in Ethiopia, or globally. The spread of mis- or disinformation is a global phenomenon. Research has repeatedly shown how hostile groups use disinformation to further inflame tensions, create confusion and weaken trust in institutions, including government offices, nonprofits and media. Often it falls to news outlets or fact-checking initiatives to set the record straight. But moves by Meta to end some fact-checking tools such as CrowdTangle, and its decision in January to end a Facebook fact-check program in the U.S., have experts concerned about how to contain the spread of hate speech and disinformation. In Ethiopia, some specialists are already seeking extra training to be able to better spot and debunk false or misleading content. Communications specialist Netsanet Tesfaye already knew how to use tools such as Google's reverse image search. But he sought extra training after seeing how quickly doctored images can be spread to stoke tensions. To learn how to better spot fakes, Netsanet turned to HaqCheck, an Ethiopia-based organization set up four years ago. "Fake information is causing great damage to organizations and the country. The methods people use have also gone from spreading simple rumors to using advanced technology such as deep fake or AI. So it was important I understand what tools are available to counter them,' Netsanet said. Since its launch, HaqCheck has identified and debunked thousands of misleading posts shared on social media and has made it easier for the public to verify information, said Kirubel Tesfaye, lead fact-checker at HaqCheck. It also offers training. "It wasn't until I joined HaqCheck that I began to understand the darker side of social media,' Kirubel said. 'I'm constantly shocked by the lengths people will go to to disseminate false information." Much of the misinformation Kirubel and his team deal with involves internal conflicts, border disputes, and the diplomatic tension between Ethiopia and Somalia over a port deal with Somaliland. "We also find the prime minister's and government officials' various speeches are frequently manipulated," Kirubel said. Dangers of disinformation Most of the disinformation is circulated on social media. Facebook, TikTok and the Telegram messaging apps are all popular in Ethiopia. But some platforms have been criticized for posts that stoke tensions. A 2023 Amnesty International report alleges that Meta, Facebook's parent company, contributed to human rights abuses against the Tigrayan community in Ethiopia. The report said Facebook's algorithms 'supercharged the spread of harmful rhetoric' and that content moderation systems failed to prevent that spread. Noting that Facebook is widely used in Ethiopia and 'considered a trustworthy news source,' Amnesty said that its 'algorithms fueled devastating human rights impacts' on Tigrayans. Prior to the conflict in Tigray, Facebook in November 2021 announced that Ethiopia was in its highest-risk category for violence, and that it had developed technology to identify hate speech in Ethiopia's four most spoken languages. The following year, two British digital research companies found that Facebook was still approving posts containing hate speech during the conflict. The U.N.'s then-special adviser on the prevention of genocide, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, noted similar findings in her 2022 reports. Meta does have systems in place to try to address such concerns. But in the U.S., some of those methods are being rolled back. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced a change in policy to end content moderation — its third-party fact-checking program — in the U.S. 'The fact-checkers have just been too politically biased and have destroyed more trust than they've created, especially in the U.S.,' Zuckerberg said in a January 7 video. 'So, over the next couple of months, we are going to phase in a more comprehensive community notes system.' In his message, Zuckerberg said the platform, which globally has 2.9 billion monthly users, plans to change its content policies. Zuckerberg in August said the Biden administration had 'pressured' his company to censor posts about the coronavirus pandemic. Misinformation alerts were added to Facebook and Instagram posts that contained disinformation about the pandemic or vaccines. And some posts critical of the vaccines were deleted. Contacted by VOA's Horn of Africa Service, Meta said it was making changes in the U.S. first and would improve its systems 'before expansion to other countries.' "There are no changes in other countries at this time, and before rolling out any changes to our fact-checking program outside of the U.S., we will carefully consider our obligations,' Meta said. Fact-checker tool kit Back in Ethiopia, HaqCheck fact-checkers rely on several digital tools to verify information, including reverse image search. CrowdTangle was one such tool, helping the team analyze public content on social media. Meta shut down the tool in August, saying it didn't provide a complete picture of what was happening on its platform. "It was a powerful tool that helped us monitor Facebook, Instagram and Reddit,' said Kirubel of HaqCheck. 'Now we've reverted to manual monitoring, using keywords.' The team employs other tools, too, including InVid, which can help researchers identify when an image was first shared, and whether or even where it was manipulated. Beyond debunking false information, the group trains journalists, communication experts and academics. Netsanet said that this work carries special significance in countries like Ethiopia. "False information can turn ethnic groups that lived in harmony against each other and threaten national security,' he said. 'The spread of misinformation also worsens conflicts. So, fact-checking means protecting a country from all that.' To ensure it reaches as wide an audience as possible, HaqCheck publishes verified articles on its website, social media and local TV stations. This story originated in VOA's Horn of Africa Service.
Zawya
29-01-2025
- Health
- Zawya
Innovations breaking barriers to children's immunisation in Nigeria and Ethiopia win major funding from Save the Children
The Save the Children Immunisation Accelerator, funded by GSK, has awarded two innovation projects for finding unique solutions to help more children receive vaccinations. With an estimated 2.1 million children in Nigeria and almost one million in Ethiopia1 classed as 'zero dose', having never received a routine vaccination, the Save the Children Immunisation Accelerator was launched in April 2024, to empower local organisations and fast-track cutting-edge solutions. A call for submissions then invited Ethiopian and Nigerian innovators to submit proposals. Selected from 120 submissions by a panel, including global health experts, the chosen immunisation partners are: The Centre for Integrated Health Programs (CIHP) and HABTech Solutions PLC. Both organisations will receive technical and financial support from Save the Children, including a grant of almost $100,000 each to further their work. Nigeria based NGO CIHP has developed a social and behaviour change model, using a 'positive deviance' approach which involves caregivers within communities, who have successfully overcome barriers to vaccinate their children, sharing their lived experience. Dr. Bolanle Oyeledun, CEO of CIHP said: ***'* Our innovation will leverage lessons learned from our novel positive deviance approach to address caregiver-driven vaccine hesitancy in northern Nigeria. We will work with Lagos State and its people to understand and co-creatively address challenges to low immunization uptake in urban slums especially. This funding will enable us to identify missed opportunities and close critical gaps in immunisation uptake, moving the needle toward higher vaccination coverage.' HABTech Solutions, an Ethiopia-based company, has developed a digital innovation leveraging data analytics and visualization to enhance decision-making and address the challenges associated with zero-dose immunization in Ethiopia. Adane Letta Mamuye, General Manager at HABTech said, 'Our innovation empowers stakeholders to create data-driven interventions for children who have not received any vaccines by identifying hard-to-reach communities frequently overlooked by traditional immunisation efforts, tracking vaccine shortages and supply issues, and ensuring precise mapping and identification of zero-dose children. By leveraging advanced data analytics, we aim to enhance the use of data for informed decision-making, enabling tailored interventions that address specific gaps in immunisation coverage. With the support of the Accelerator, we will carry out a thorough pilot implementation and evaluation to showcase how our proposed system can lead to improved immunisation outcomes.' Ermias Teshome, Save the Children Immunisation Accelerator Lead said: 'Every child deserves access to life-saving vaccinations. The urgent challenges in child immunisation require locally led, innovative solutions, and the projects by CIHP and HABTech Solutions have demonstrated remarkable potential to deliver scalable, impactful change. Through our Immunisation Accelerator, we are excited to support their journey in transforming immunisation outcomes for children in Ethiopia, Nigeria, and beyond.' The innovations will be piloted in conjunction with vaccination programmes Save the Children runs in partnership with GSK in Ethiopia and Nigeria, focused on working together towards a world where no child suffers from a vaccine preventable disease and every child's health is protected. Details of a second call out for submissions will be announced in April 2025. Visit to find out more. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Save the Children.
