By Samuel Shay

When Samuel Shay speaks about Africa’s industrial future within the India Middle East Europe Corridor, he describes a transformation that is already beginning to take shape. Shay, known for his work across the Middle East and Africa as an economic strategist and a senior advisor to the Abraham Accords framework, argues that IMEC is more than a trade route. It is a structural engine capable of turning Africa into one of the most dynamic manufacturing regions of the coming decades.

In recent months, Shay has travelled through East Africa, the Gulf, and Europe, presenting a unified message. Africa, he insists, can no longer be positioned at the margins of global production. The continent has the people, the geography, and the resources to become a central manufacturing pillar that connects directly into IMEC supply chains. According to him, the opportunity is historic. For the first time, Africa has access to a stable, predictable, and world class logistical network that links its industrial zones to India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and Europe.

During a briefing he held with regional partners, Shay outlined the logic behind this shift. Industrial development follows infrastructure, he said. When transport becomes reliable and costs fall, production follows. IMEC shortens routes, reduces risk, and creates new commercial confidence. This opens the door for multinational companies to relocate manufacturing processes to Africa, where the workforce is young, the markets are expanding, and governments are increasingly committed to reform.

Shay points to East African ports such as Mombasa, Lamu, Dar es Salaam, and Djibouti as natural gateways for Africa’s industrial integration. These ports already serve as the continent’s maritime link to the Gulf. Under IMEC, they can evolve into hubs for processed goods and finished products. Africa should not export raw materials anymore, Shay told partners in one of his discussions. It should export value.

In his analysis, three forces converge to support Africa’s rise as a manufacturing center. First is India. With its growing industrial and technological power, India is seeking new production bases that can serve global markets. Africa’s proximity and labor capacity give it a clear advantage. Shay has held several meetings with Indian business leaders who see Africa as a natural partner for joint ventures in automotive components, electronics, textiles, food processing, and pharmaceuticals. They told him that the predictability of IMEC is the missing link. Once this predictability is secured, investment becomes far easier.

Second is the Gulf. Shay maintains long standing working relationships with senior officials in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. The Gulf states are repositioning themselves as global logistics powers and are investing heavily in renewable energy and industrial diversification. Their capital, combined with Africa’s labor and land, can create a chain of industrial zones linked by IMEC’s transport, digital, and energy routes. Shay often emphasizes that the Gulf is ready to finance large scale industrial clusters in Africa, particularly those connected to green hydrogen, solar components, fertilizers, and agro processing.

Third is North Africa. Countries like Morocco, Egypt, and Tunisia already possess industrial capabilities. Shay believes that connecting these northern hubs with East and West Africa through IMEC linked industrial corridors can create a continental network of production. Egypt, in particular, has the potential to become a dual anchor, serving both African and Mediterranean markets. Shay has been working with Egyptian partners on the concept of Red Sea and Sinai based industrial zones designed specifically for IMEC trade routes.

Training and human development are core to Shay’s vision. Africa’s young population is its greatest asset, he said in a recent conversation. Industrial zones must include professional academies, technological training centers, and partnerships with Indian and Israeli companies capable of delivering advanced skills. Shay argues that without investing in people, infrastructure alone cannot produce growth. But with the right training, Africa can build a generation of industrial workers capable of competing globally.

Digital connectivity is another pillar of Shay’s plan. IMEC will rely on advanced fiber optic networks, and African industrial zones connected to these systems will benefit from real time logistics data, smart manufacturing tools, and transparent digital supply chains. According to Shay, this connectivity is essential. It allows African manufacturers to meet the strict standards of European and Asian markets and to integrate seamlessly into multinational procurement systems.

Shay also stresses the social impact of industrial development. Manufacturing creates stable employment and generates an ecosystem of local service providers. In his discussions with African leaders, he repeatedly highlighted that IMEC oriented industrial zones can strengthen communities by providing long term income, advancing education, and supporting socially inclusive economic growth.

Environmental sustainability is part of the strategy. Africa’s potential in solar and wind energy gives it an advantage in producing low carbon goods. Shay believes that IMEC will amplify this potential by creating pathways for green energy exports and clean manufacturing. He argues that Europe’s environmental regulations will become an opportunity instead of a barrier if African industrial zones adopt renewable energy at scale.

In his overarching vision, Shay sees Africa emerging as a fourth pillar in the global economic network that IMEC is creating. India brings technology and scale. The Gulf brings capital and energy. Europe brings markets and standards. Africa brings population, land, and future growth potential. Together, these regions form a new economic architecture that he believes will define the next era of trade and development.

Samuel Shay’s message is consistent and clear. Africa is not a peripheral market. It is a central participant in the future that IMEC is building. Through industrial zones, education, and strategic partnerships, the continent can claim its place as a manufacturing power connected to India, the Middle East, and Europe. IMEC is not just a corridor for goods. It is a corridor for Africa’s rise.

From Adeko Ukpa, Abuja

The Rotary Foundation on Monday reaffirmed its commitment to improving maternal and child health in Nigeria through the Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria programme.

Speaking after an interactive session with the Rotary action group for Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health (Rotary-RMCH)
regarding the ongoing “Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria” programs of scale in Abuja, the Chair of the Rotary Foundation, Holger Knaack, who was accompanied by his wife Suzanne, described the programme as one of its most impactful initiatives on the African continent.

He expressed delight at the progress recorded under the programme, which has significantly reduced maternal and child deaths in participating communities.

“What we are seeing here is the result of more than 25 years of hard work and collaboration among Rotarians, the Rotary Foundation, volunteers, and government health officials,” he said.

“Together, we have achieved a significant reduction in maternal and child mortality. That is the true impact of partnership,” he added.

He explained that Rotary’s approach is to focus on large-scale, measurable projects that deliver lasting change.

“Our goal is always impact. It’s not just about doing good, but about doing the right thing and being able to measure it. Bigger projects have greater, measurable results,” he said.

Caption: L-R: The National Coordinator/Country Director of the Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria programme, Prof. Adedolapo Emmanuel Lufadeju, Rotary Foundation Chairman and Past Rotary International President, Holger Knaack,
his wife, Suzanne and Rotary Foundation Trustee, Ijeoma Pearl Okoro, at the maternal and reproductive health review meeting by The RotaryFoundation in Abuja on Monday.

The Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria programme, he noted, is a $2 million initiative that has attracted further support and collaboration.

“Through partnerships with other countries such as Germany, we have raised about $2.8 million, bringing the total investment to nearly $5 million.

“We are also proud that the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation has pledged another $5 million over the next few years to sustain this success,” he said.

Also speaking, Trustee of the Rotary Foundation, Ijeoma Pearl Okoro, described it as a milestone for Nigeria, being only the second Programme of Scale approved by the Rotary Foundation globally.

“I’m happy it came to Nigeria, and that we hit the ground running. We’re already recording successes in maternal and child care,” she said.

“Most importantly, the programme has attracted a scaling partner, which will help us expand beyond the initial four pilot locations.

“The next phase has been mapped out, and we’re ready to extend to other states,” Okoro added.

The National Coordinator/Country Director of the Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria programme, Prof. Adedolapo Emmanuel Lufadeju, in his presentation, said that the Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria programme of Scale (PoS) is an initiative through which Rotary members show their commitment to improving maternal and infant health by providing mothers and newborns with targeted healthcare.

He said the programme has helped in “improving the systemic access to life saving services which will have an immediate and enduring impact on not just mothers but also the wider community by reducing maternal and neonatal mortality in Nigeria, hence the theme.”

“The overall objective of the programme is to scale-down maternal and neonatal mortality by 25%,” he added.

The programme, according to him, commenced implementation in four locations in November 2022.

He listed the locations to include, FCT (Abuja Municipal Area Council), Nasarawa (Akwanga and Lafia LGAs), Gombe (Gombe and Yamaltu Deba LGAs) and Ekiti states (Ado-Ekiti and Ijero LGAs) in 49 facilities in total.

“Owing to the success recorded, as at July 2025, the programme has expanded to 103 facilities across the four locations,” he said.

END

By Adeko Ukpa, Abuja

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has strongly condemned the

declaration of Paul Biya as winner of the recent presidential election in Cameroon.

Frank in a statement in Abuja, described the announcement of the 92 year old Biya as an insult to democracy and a brazen fraud that must be rejected by all who believe in justice and freedom.

He said: “The so-called results announced by the regime are a fabrication and a clear subversion of the people’s will.

“The world must not stand by while democracy in Cameroon is strangled in broad daylight.”

He lamented that peaceful protesters who took to the streets to denounce the daylight robbery of their votes have been met with gunfire, brutality, and mass arrests.

“Innocent Cameroonians are being killed by their own security forces simply for demanding that their votes count.

“This bloodshed must end immediately. Those who ordered and carried out these killings must be held personally accountable before international law.

“The International Criminal Court (ICC) and the United Nations (UN) must investigate and ensure that justice is done.”

According to Frank who is the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and Middle East, the African Union’s “shameful silence in the face of such blatant electoral robbery is a betrayal of its founding principles.”

He added: “By refusing to speak out or act, the AU is enabling tyranny and helping destroy democracy on the continent.

“It is this silence and hypocrisy that fuel coups and instability in Africa, when the people are denied peaceful paths to change, they are pushed to desperation.

“The time has come for the AU to choose between complicity and conscience.”

He called on the United States, the European Union, the United Nations, and all responsible nations to impose targeted sanctions on Paul Biya’s regime, “including travel bans, asset freezes, and suspension of military assistance.”

He added: “The international community must make it clear that those who rig elections, kill citizens, and destroy democratic institutions will pay a heavy price.

“Anything less would embolden other dictators across Africa to repeat this travesty.”

He insisted that the true winner of the Cameroonian election remains Issa Tchiroma Bakary; whose mandate reflects the genuine will of the people.

“The international community must recognise this fact and pressure Paul Biya to step down,” he said.

He urged Cameroonians not to surrender their future to a regime that survives on repression and deceit.

“To the brave people of Cameroon: your courage in the face of tyranny is a beacon of hope.

“Defend your mandate, stand for your democracy, but remain peaceful and united.

The world is watching, and history is on your side.”

According to him, if the world fails to act decisively now, it would set a dangerous precedent, “one that tells African leaders that rigging elections, silencing opponents, and murdering citizens come without consequence.

“This must not happen. The time to act is now. The world must stand with the people of Cameroon and make it clear that stolen elections and blood-stained power have no place in the 21st century,” he said.