The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) has started the final lap of the spillway rehabilitation procurement process with the launch of the works tender to a shortlist of pre-qualified companies. The procurement is expected to be completed in time for the works contract to be awarded by the last quarter of 2018, according to a statement released on Wednesday. The spillway rehabilitation is being funded jointly by the World Bank, African Development Bank and the Government of Sweden.

The Namibia Red Cross Society with support from the European Union (EU) has launched a renewable energy initiative at Muyako village, in efforts to mitigate climate change. According to the Namibian, Zambezi Red Cross board chairperson Innocent Mahoto said the project aims to promote the use of various forms of renewable energy and energy efficient technologies in 10 selected rural communities of the Zambezi, Kavango East and Kavango West regions. "Selected small-scale farmers of which most are in off-grid electricity areas will benefit from the installation of renewable energy in community gardens that will facilitate a responsible and environmentally friendly use of resources," said Mahoto.

The European Union (EU) on Wednesday inaugurated 956,000 euros (about N4.3 billion) projects in support of Person With Albinisms (PWAs), provision of water and sanitation management in the Niger Delta The EU Head of Delegation and Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ketil Karlsen, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the end of project inauguration ceremony in Abuja. Mr Karlsen said that the projects were part of EU activities to promote, protect human rights in Nigeria and mitigate the conflict in Niger Delta region by addressing the cause of unrest and violence.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a $25 million financing plan for the installation of off-grid solar systems, to strengthen energy access in Africa. EIB vice president, Ambroise Fayolle, announced the project at the 6th African CEO Forum in Abijan, Cote ‘Ivoire and stated the focus countries are; Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria and Uganda. The project will boost power delivery to both rural and suburban populations. The bank will be working with d.light Design to supply energy through solar kits rather than through grid connection.

The European Union Pacific staff took to the beach at My Suva Park on October 3rd for a cleanup campaign. EU Ambassador to Fiji Julian Wilson says every year millions of tons of trash end up in the oceans and the EU and Fiji are determined to prevent the bleak prospect of that becoming a reality.

European Commission-funded, FAO-led partnership will help African, Caribbean and Pacific countries shift from wildmeat to alternative sources of animal protein. A €45 million multi-partner programme launched on Tuesday 10 October at FAO seeks to help African, Caribbean and Pacific countries halt unsustainable wildlife hunting, conserve their natural heritage and strengthen people's livelihoods and food security. Funded by the European Commission, the seven-year programme is an initiative of the African Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP).

The European Union (EU) and its member states are committed to supporting the conservation, sustainable management and use of natural resources, as well as the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystems. These include forests, oceans, coastal areas, river basins and other ecosystems for the provision of ecosystem services. In line with international commitments, they have committed to tackling illegal logging and its associated trades - land and forest degradation, desertification, drought and biodiversity loss - and also promoting co-benefits from sustainable management, including enhancing climate resilience and adaptation.

For the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Organisation of African Unity (now the AU), African leaders adopted the Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want - a vision for a prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development. One of the defining features of this agenda is the structural transformation of African economies towards achieving shared growth, decent jobs and economic opportunities for all. So far, the structural transformation that shifts productive resources from agriculture and mining to manufacturing - which has helped many countries achieve greater prosperity - has bypassed most African countries. According to a recent International Monetary Fund report, the limited structural transformation in Africa has not translated into more jobs because the manufacturing sector itself requires extensive reform.

Two agreements, namely on the establishment of the France Development Agency (AFD) in Angola and another one relating to the financing of water projects, were signed last Friday, in Luanda. The first agreement was signed by the Finance minister, Archer Mangueira, and by the French ambassador, Silvain Itté. This agreement is aimed at enabling the AFD to officially in Angola and work in financing projects linked to the areas of waters, energy and agriculture. The second agreement was signed by minister Archer Mangueira and the resident representative of the World Bank in Angola, Clara de Sousa, as well as the director of the France Development Agency (AFD), Martha Stein- Scochas.

The European Union (EU) says it has so far committed over 700 million euros for the development of sustainable energy in Nigeria and other ECOWAS countries from 2014 to 2020. The Head of Cooperation, EU delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Kurt Cornelis, said this in Abuja on Monday at a workshop on policy and regulation for clean energy mini-grids and renewable energy in ECOWAS region. Cornelis said access to electricity and promotion of sustainable energy solutions were at the core of EU’s cooperation with the region, hence the provision of the grants to ECOWAS countries.