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#EarlySignals - May 2022

6 May 2022

Analysis

Our monthly selection of news, quotes and figures that slipped through the radar but could have significant implications

NEWS

Nigerian court orders 35% of public offices to be reserved for women

Nigeria joins the 31 African countries that have already adopted a gender quota in public administration. In March this year, the National Assembly had rejected several bills seeking to create new seats reserved exclusively for elected women. This verdict of the Nigerian federal court thus gives hope to NGOs that are fighting for a better representation of women in the country's political life. Since then, their lobbying activities have been stepped up and the National Assembly could reverse its votes. Will civil society succeed in getting a vote on the creation of 103 new seats in the Assembly reserved exclusively for women? To be continued.  

QUOTE

"I want to tell all Kenyans that I will not attend the said process. I find the entire thing demeaning to my person and will therefore distance myself from it." Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka, 03/05/2022.
This statement by Kalonzo Musyoka, one of the heavyweights of the Azimio la Umoja coalition, increases the pressure on Raila Odinga who has until May 16 to designate his running mate. With less than 100 days to go before the first round of the Kenyan presidential election, who will Odinga choose to accompany him in the presidential election? It is difficult to say at this stage, a committee has even been set up to identify candidates for the post. In the camp of Deputy President William Ruto, the other main candidate, the nomination of a running mate should be decided between Justin Muturi, the current speaker of parliament, and Anne Waiguru, the governor of Kirinyaga county. In both camps, the choice is complex, as it could be accompanied by defections within the respective coalitions.  

FIGURE

60% - Part of the Angolan basin remaining unexplored

On the occasion of the commemoration of the 37th anniversary of the National Mining Day, the Angolan Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo, recalled that almost 60% of the Angolan mineral basin is unexplored. By 2030, the authorities aim to become the world's second largest producer of rough diamonds. Numerous reforms to the regulatory framework are expected to be launched in order to achieve these goals. So far, the state-owned Endiama and the Russian company Alrosa have dominated diamond production, which reached 9.3 million carats in 2021. The sector's prospects have already begun to attract investors, notably with the return of the giant De Beers, which in April 2022 submitted an application for exploration permits in Angola, ten years after it left the country.