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2023 Elections: Abuja Online Publishers bond for nation building

By Favour Nnabugwu

 

 

 

Abuja Online Publishers, AOP, have bonded to build the nation as the 2023 general elections will commence next month.

Even as the the body has put on hold further admission of members to allow the forum focus on the all important task of General Elections.

This position was reached by the Steering Committee after the Association reached 50-member milestone barely a week after its inauguration.

The Steering Committee unanimously resolved to temporarily suspend membership admission to allow us concentrate on the onerous task of Nation Building weeks to the General Elections. During this window, we will perfect our incorporation and compile our digital register for reference purposes.

Also, the various adhoc committees are working assiduously to meet their timelines. The Finance Committee had turned in its recommendation, the draft constitution will be out next week as well as our logo which will be ratified in a General Meeting to be announced soon.

Overwhelmed by the wide acceptance of the association by all online Publishers, the Acting Chairman of the Association, Martins Odiete thanked all members for hearing the calls and heeding with their presence.

“On behalf of the Steering Committee, I would like to extend my utmost gratitude to you and your hard work.
Your dedication helped us reach our goals. I deeply appreciate every member of this team for showing relentless effort for this project.

“This progress would not be possible without your contributions. I value your commitment to this vision and look forward to achieving all our milestones together” he said.

Four weeks to the polls, we will devote our far reaching platforms to educate, inform and sensitize Nigerians and the global community about the activities of all stakeholders as we count down to the general elections with a view to reporting: fair, balance and accurate updates.

Abuja Online Publishers is an association of all online media with the aim of advocating the invaluable place of verifiable and trusted online news media in a democratic society, encourage diversity, inclusion and to be a reference point for high editorial standards.

Patoma Admin by — January 29, 2023 in Metro 0
AfDB to invest &10bn to boost agriculture in Africa

CAPTION:
R – President of Africa Development Bank Group, Mr. Akinwunmi Adeisina and two participants at the Dakar Sumit
By Favour Nnabugwu
African Development Bank Group AfDB plans to invest $10 billion over the next five years to boost Africa’s efforts to end hunger and become a primary food provider for itself and the rest of the world,
Bank Group President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, made announced at the Dakar 2 Africa Food Summit in Diamniadio, east of the Senegalese capital of Dakar.
Adesina called on more than 34 heads of state, 70 government ministers, the private sector, farmers, development partners, and corporate executives to work out compacts that would deliver food and agriculture transformation at scale across Africa.
He encouraged them to take collective action to unlock the continent’s agricultural potential to become a global breadbasket.
The Dakar 2 summit—under the theme Feed Africa: food sovereignty and resilience—takes place amid supply chain disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. More than a thousand delegates and dignitaries attended, including the President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins.
The Government of Senegal and the African Development Bank Group are co-hosting the summit, eight years after the inaugural Dakar 1 summit where the newly elected Adesina announced the Bank’s Feed Africa strategy.
Opening the summit, President Sall who is also the African Union chairperson, said the time had come for the continent to feed itself by adding value and stepping up the use of technology.
“We must raise the bar. We must raise our ambition. We must arise and say to ourselves: it is time to feed Africa. The timing is right, and the moment is now. Feed Africa; we must,” said Adesina.
The bank head urged the leaders to turn political will into decisive actions to deliver food security for Africa,
“We must strongly support farmers, especially smallholder farmers, majority of whom are women, and get more young people into agriculture. And we must take agriculture as a business, not a development activity, and boost support to the private sector.”
development of the agriculture sectors. They will help us generate wealth, develop integrated infrastructure around special agro-processing zones, and add value.”
During the three-day summit, private sector players are expected to commit to national food and agriculture delivery compacts, to drive policies, create structural reforms, and attract private sector investment.
Central bank governors and finance ministers are expected to develop financing arrangements to implement the food and agriculture delivery compacts, in conjunction with agriculture ministers, private sector players, commercial banks, financial institutions, and multilateral partners and organisations
Patoma Admin by — January 26, 2023 in Banking & Finance 0
Regular diagnosis, targeted policy actions for African economies critical.- AfDB Chief Economist

The African Development Bank Group’s Acting Chief Economist and Vice President for Economic Governance and Knowledge Management, Professor Kevin Chika Urama, shares his thoughts on the inaugural Africa’s Macroeconomic Performance and Outlook report, released last Thursday.

Excerpts

The new biannual publication aims to provide African policymakers, global investors, researchers, and other development partners with an incisive, timely, evidence-based evaluation of the continent’s recent macroeconomic performance and short-to-medium-term outlook amid dynamic global economic developments.

Why is Africa’s Macro-Economic Performance and Outlook report important?

Like other world regions, Africa continues to face overlapping shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change-related impacts, rising geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions and the tightening global financial conditions impacting key macroeconomic indicators.

The macroeconomic indicators include economic growth, financial sector development, interest and exchange rates, fiscal positions, current account positions, financial flows and debt dynamics that are making policymaking and investment decisions very challenging.

The Africa’s Macroeconomic Performance and Outlook report covers all African countries and aims to provide regular analysis on the recent evolution and short to medium-term outlook of these key macroeconomic indicators at the continental, regional and country levels. It also proposes policies to aid policymaking and investment decisions on the continent.
The report will be released twice a year – in the first and third quarters – to provide policymakers, investors and all stakeholders with real-time and evidence-based information on the factors shaping Africa’s development.

Prof. Kevin Chika Urama

 

Why did the bank find it necessary to produce the report? What were the key objectives?

Africa’s Macroeconomic Performance and Outlook Report responds to a critical need for timely information to help decision-making in a context of heightened global and regional uncertainties.

Global macroeconomic conditions have recently become uncertain, with persistent multiple shocks that make policymaking and investment decisions challenging. With these global shocks and their interaction with prevailing pockets of domestic and regional risks, the need for regular diagnosis and targeted policy actions to address their impacts on African economies is critical.

With the publication of Africa’s Macroeconomic Performance and Outlook Report, The Bank –Africa’s premier knowledge broker — is reaffirming to African policymakers that it has a mandate to shape the African narrative on key issues of relevance to the continent’s development.

The report, therefore, serves as a compass for African countries on their economic situation, providing interested parties and stakeholders with an up-to-date evidence-based assessment of the continent’s recent macroeconomic performance and short-to-medium term outlook amid dynamic global economic developments.
2023 and 2024, higher than the projected global averages of 2.7 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively.

The stable outlook projected for 2023-2024 reflects continuing policy support in Africa, global efforts to mitigate the impact of external shocks and rising uncertainty in the global economy, the expected growth in demand for Africa’s commodities and green minerals as countries seek alternative sources of food and energy to counter the effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and green minerals to support global green transitions. globally.

Climate change could increase losses and damages due to extreme weather events and exacerbate fiscal risks for countries. The high dependence on exports of primary commodities with limited value addition exposes countries to commodity price volatility and could delay the structural transformation presented by the green transition.

With the low rates of COVID-19 vaccination across Africa, currently 26%, there is a moderate risk of new variants emerging, which could be amplified by a full reopening of the global economy.

We also have regional conflicts in key hotspots such as Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Mali, and Mozambique that could exert further pressures on the fiscal position of countries through increased security expenditure and reverse investment flows.

In addition, political risks could rise in 30 African countries. Algeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe are scheduled to hold national elections in 2023 or 2024
Managing foreign exchange reserves to reduce exchange-rate volatility and enhance export competitiveness could be part of effective risk-reducing agents.

Countries also need to implement local-content development and franchising policies to develop value chains and get more value from natural resources, especially in countries with minerals for green development.

African countries should boost regional trade to enhance resilience to spillovers from the global economic slowdown and reduce persistent trade deficits. Carrying out structural reform to boost regional trade can lead to a more vibrant regional market in the medium to long term.

Prof Kevin Chika Urama

 

What would you say are the key takeaways from the report?

The report offers fundamental insights that African policymakers, global investors, researchers, and other development partners will find handy and utilize as an essential reference tool. It gives hope for continued economic resilience amid the heightened risk of global recession. Importantly, the economic growth was positive across all five African regions and that 53 of 54 African countries in 2022 with a stable outlook in the medium term against multiple shocks.

What would you say are the key takeaways from the report?

The report offers fundamental insights that African policymakers, global investors, researchers, and other development partners will find handy and utilize as an essential reference tool. It gives hope for continued economic resilience amid the heightened risk of global recession. Importantly, the economic growth was positive across all five African regions and that 53 of 54 African countries in 2022 with a stable outlook in the medium term against multiple shocks.

But the recovery and the economic resilience of African countries in the short-to-medium term come with cautious optimism given the considerable global uncertainty. Therefore, bold policy actions outlined above should be implemented to address the effects of rising inflation and sustain growth to a higher trajectory needed to reduce poverty. To meet the significant financing gaps in Africa, it is imperative to enact policies that can mobilize and leverage private financing for development in Africa

Patoma Admin by — January 26, 2023 in Banking & Finance 0
We can transform our cities- AfDB President tells Mayors from 15 African countries

CAPTION:
From left: Luísa Diogo, former Prime Minister of Mozambique, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group, Jamie Cooper, Founder and President of Big Win Philanthropy and Co-Chair of AMALI, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs of South Africa, Alan Winde, Premier of the Western Cape.
By Favour Nnabugwu
Mayors from 15 African cities gathered for the inaugural forum of the African Mayoral Leadership Initiative (AMALI) where African Development Bank Group President, Dr Akinwumi A. Adesina told them that they must work together to transform the cities in the continent
AMALI is a partnership between the African Centre for Cities (ACC) at the University of Cape Town and Big Win Philanthropy.
According to Dr Adesina: “There is need to provide greater autonomy and fiscal responsibility to cities and towns and for national governments to allow them to raise financing to meet the huge needs of development. Instead of simply depending more on transfers from national governments, cities and towns should build their institutional capacity to raise their own financing.”
The Bank’s support includes the establishment of an Urban and Municipal Development Fund to provide technical assistance and capacity building for integrated urban planning, governance, project preparation, and broader urban management, including municipal fiscal management. The Fund provides support in more than 15 cities—to help improve the lives of millions of urban residents.
In a clear call to action to Africa’s city leaders, Dr Adesina said,“The Africa we want must be one where our cities are well planned to become drivers of greater economic growth and prosperity for Africa. This cannot happen by chance. The future is not created by a roll of the dice. So let us act to transform Africa’s cities,” Dr Adesina said.
By 2050, the number of people living in African cities is expected to double from about 600 million to 1.2 billion, representing the most rapid rate of urbanisation in the world. This poses significant development challenges, which will require innovative, African-led solutions.
Speaking at the event, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs of South Africa, exhorted African city leaders to always put people first. To reduce urban migration, she urged African countries to invest in rural areas and small towns.
The Minister also encouraged African countries to prioritise the skills revolution, citing the African continent’s skills gap as a barrier to development.
Speaking at the event, Alan Winde, Premier of the Western Cape, highlighted strategic ways in which regional and national governments can support mayors to transform their cities—creating impact that extends well beyond the city limits.
“I believe in decentralisation. I believe, where possible, it gives local authorities the power to dream big, to have visions, and to move forward into the future,” he said. According to Premier Winde, decentralisation “lets us, at national levels and provincial levels, empower and enable local authorities and cities, because it’s cities that are going to be growing out of proportion over the next 50 and 100 years.”
In a clear call to action to Africa’s city leaders, Dr Adesina said,“The Africa we want must be one where our cities are well planned to become drivers of greater economic growth and prosperity for Africa. This cannot happen by chance. The future is not created by a roll of the dice. So let us act to transform Africa’s cities,” Dr Adesina said.
Speaking at the event, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs of South Africa, exhorted African city leaders to always put people first. To reduce urban migration, she urged African countries to invest in rural areas and small towns. The Minister also encouraged African countries to prioritise the skills revolution, citing the African continent’s skills gap as a barrier to development.
Speaking at the event, Alan Winde, Premier of the Western Cape, highlighted strategic ways in which regional and national governments can support mayors to transform their cities—creating impact that extends well beyond the city limits.
“I believe in decentralisation. I believe, where possible, it gives local authorities the power to dream big, to have visions, and to move forward into the future,” he said. According to Premier Winde, decentralisation “lets us, at national levels and provincial levels, empower and enable local authorities and cities, because it’s cities that are going to be growing out of proportion over the next 50 and 100 years.”
The event also included remarks from Prof. Edgar Pieterse, Founding Director of the African Centre for Cities and Co-Chair of AMALI, Prof. Mamokgethi Phakeng, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town, and Jamie Cooper, Founder and President of Big Win Philanthropy and Co-Chair of AMALI.
Patoma Admin by — January 26, 2023 in Banking & Finance 0
Africa growth to increase by 4% in 2023, 2024

By Favour Nnabugwu
Africa is set to outperform the rest of the world in economic growth over the next two years, with real gross domestic product (GDP) averaging around 4% in 2023 and 2024.
This is higher than projected global averages of 2.7% and 3.2%, the African Development Bank Group said in Africa’s Macroeconomic Performance and Outlook report for the region, released in Abidjan on Thursday.
With a comprehensive regional growth analysis, the report shows that all the continent’s five regions remain resilient with a steady outlook for the medium-term, despite facing significant headwinds due to global socio-economic shocks. It also identified potential risks and called for robust monetary and fiscal measures, backed by structural policies, to address them.
The Macroeconomic Performance and Outlook report will be released in the first and third quarters of each year. It complements the bank’s existing annual African Economic Outlook report, which focuses on key emerging policy themes relevant to the continent’s development.
The report shows that estimated average growth of real GDP in Africa slowed to 3.8% in 2022, from 4.8% in 2021 amid significant challenges following the Covid-19 shock and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Despite the economic slowdown, 53 of Africa’s 54 countries posted positive growth. All the five regions of the continent remain resilient with a steady outlook for the medium-term.
However, the report sends a cautionary note on the outlook following current global and regional risks. These risks including soaring food and energy prices, tightening global financial conditions, and the associated increase in domestic debt service costs. Climate change—with its damaging impact on domestic food supply and the potential risk of policy reversal in countries holding elections in 2023—pose equally challenging threats.
The report advocates bold policy actions at national, regional, and global scales to help African economies mitigate the compounding risks.
In remarks during the launch, African Development Bank Group President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina said the release of the new report came at a time when African economies, faced with significant headwinds, were proving their resilience.
“With 54 countries at different stages of growth, different economic structures, and diverse resource endowments, the pass-through effects of global shocks always differ by region and by country. Slowing global demand, tighter financial conditions, and disrupted supply chains therefore had differentiated impacts on African economies,” he said.
 “Despite the confluence of multiple shocks, growth across all five African regions was positive in 2022—and the outlook for 2023–24 is projected to be stable.”
Niale Kaba, Minister of Planning and Development of Côte d’Ivoire, said: “The release of this report by our bank, the African Development Bank Group, at this time of the year is an excellent opportunity for Africa and its global partners.
We need these regular updates to assess our countries’ macroeconomic performance and prospects. This reliable information will help decision-making and risk management for potential investors in Africa.”
Africa’s pre-Covid-19 top five performing economies are projected to grow by more than 5.5% on average in 2023-2024 and to reclaim their position among the world’s 10 fastest-growing economies. These countries are Rwanda (7.9%), Côte d’Ivoire (7.1%), Benin (6.4%), Ethiopia (6.0%), and Tanzania (5.6%).
Other African countries are projected to grow by more than 5.5% in the 2023-24 period. They are the Democratic Republic of Congo (6.8%), The Gambia (6.4%), Mozambique (6.5%), Niger (9.6%), Senegal (9.4%), and Togo (6.3%).
At the launch, economist Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University commended the report which he said showed that African economies are growing and growing consistently.
Sachs, who is also United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ Advocate for Sustainable Development Goals, said: “Africa can and will rise to growth of 7 percent or more per year consistently in the coming decades.  What we’ll see, building on the resiliency we see in this report, is a real acceleration of Africa’s sustainable development so that Africa will be the fast-growing part of the world economy. Africa is the place to invest.”
Patoma Admin by — January 24, 2023 in Banking & Finance 0
AfDB President calls for adequate funding of education in Africa

By Favour Nnabugwu

 

 

The President of African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwunmi Adesina has called for adequate funding of education sector in Africa in order to reduce youth unemployment in the continent

Adesina on Thursday in Abeokuta warned that, the high unemployment rate in Africa if not checked could worsen the social and political fragility of countries in the continent.

The AfDB President gave the warning in a lecture delivered at a Colloquium on “The Role of Education in 21st Century Nigeria Development: BBHS Adventure” as part of activities marking the 100 years anniversary of Baptist Boys High School (BBHS), Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The event which was attended by the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole and other alumni of the school was organized by the Old Boys Association of the school.

Adesina while delivering his lecture virtually said, for the United Nations (UN) goal for inclusive and quality education for all to be achieved, the global spending on education must rise from $1.2 trillion to $3 trillion per year by 2030.

He said, Nigeria as a nation with rapidly growing population must do more to ensure that the younger generation receive access to the education they deserve.

He said, “As a nation, the demands of a dynamic, fast-changing and integrated labour market globally require that we must significantly invest in building first grade and competitive human capital”.

“We must also improve educational system to be more resilient and able to adapt to the rapidly changing environment.

“We must transform African’s educational systems to prepare students for this new digital world.

“The investment that any nation makes in education reflects hopes and aspirations for accelerated development.

“We cannot underfund education. A nation can only go as far as its quality of its human capital, so if you underfund quality education, get ready for underdevelopment.

“The greatest discouragement to education is lack of jobs. The unemployment rate in Africa is extremely high and it reduce the return on education. Furthermore, it leads to frustration among the youths and spurs social discontent which could worsen social and political fragility of countries.”

Adesina said, AfDB has equipped no fewer than 50 million young Africans with skills, particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

According to him, the AfDB has invested more than $171 million in education in Nigeria, adding that, the various interventions have produced more than 464 Masters degree holders and 83 PhD holders.

He said, the AfDB would soon establish a Youth Enterprise Investment Bank in Africa to address high unemployment rate in the continent.

In his address, the National President of Old Boys Association of BBHS, Prof. Kayode Oyesiku said there was need for Nigeria to de-emphasis certification and focus more on technical and vocational education.

“This country place too emphasis on paper certificate. The issue of unemployment may not be resolved if we continue to place too much emphasis on paper certificate.

“Without vocational and technical education we are going nowhere. We are only deceiving ourselves, we must emphasis on vocational and technical in our schools starting from secondary up to the tertiary level”, Oyesiku said.

Patoma Admin by — January 19, 2023 in Banking & Finance 0
AfDB to launch macro-economic performance, outlook January 19

By Favour Nnabugwu

 

The African Development Bank Group will launch the inaugural edition of Africa’s Macroeconomic Performance and Outlook (MEO) report on 19 January 2023 at its Abidjan Headquarters.

The publication will offer policymakers, global investors, researchers, and other development partners an up-to-date evidence-based assessment of the continent’s recent macroeconomic performance and short-to-medium-term outlook amid dynamic global economic developments.

The new report, to be released in the first and third quarters of each year, will complement the Bank’s flagship African Economic Outlook report which focuses on key emerging issues relevant to Africa’s development.

The following speakers will feature at the launch event: Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President, African Development Bank Group; Ms. Niale Kaba, Minister of Planning and Development of Côte d’Ivoire;  Kevin Chika Urama, Acting Chief Economist and Vice President, African Development Bank Group
Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, Economist, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University. Sachs is also United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ Advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals

Patoma Admin by — January 14, 2023 in Banking & Finance 0
Ghana’s inflation rises to 54.1% … Highest in 22 Years

 

By Favour Nnabugwu

 

 

Ghana’s annual consumer inflation rate rose to 54.1 percent in December 2022, the highest in 22-years.

The new figure, announced on Wednesday by the Government Statistician for Ghana, Samuel Kobina Annim, rose from 50.3 percent in November,

The latest inflation rate is the highest since April 2001, when it was at 59.7 percent.

Ghana’s statistics office attributed the hike to steep increases in food, transport, and housing costs.

It said prices rose the most in the category of housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, increasing to 82.34 percent year-on-year.

Furnishings and household equipment came second at 71.52 percent, followed by transport at 71.42 percent, then personal care, social protection, and miscellaneous goods and services at 60.94 percent.
The agency said inflation for food and non-alcoholic beverages rose to 59.71 percent year-on-year.

It added that inflation for locally produced items was 51.1 percent, while that of imported items stood at 61.9 percent.

Patoma Admin by — January 12, 2023 in Foreign 0
AfDB awards $140,000 to 25 finalists from 14 African countries on AgriPitch competition

By Favour Nnabugwu

 

Twenty-five youth-led agriculture sector companies from 14 African countries have advanced to the finalist round of the African Development Bank Group’s 2022 AgriPitch Competition to award $140,000 in grants and business skills training.

The Bank, in collaboration with the implementing lead Private Equity Support and partner organizations Eldohub and the Private Finance Advisory Network, announced the 25 finalists for the Competition that will award $140,000 in grants and business skills training.

The 25 finalists include 17 women-owned or led small and medium enterprises. Thirteen are from Francophone countries, while the other 12 are from Anglophone countries.

The AgriPitch Competition targets African youth aged 18 to 35 years working in the agricultural value chain. The 25 finalists will receive training to build business skill capacity with the requisite tools and knowledge to bolster their investor readiness, financial management, and help them pitch bankable business proposals.

These young agripreneurs show great potential and are a testament to the level of innovation that exists across Africa. The Bank’s support, through the AgriPitch Competition, will boost the bankability of these projects and provide a tangible step towards enhancing agribusiness and food security on the continent,” said Edson Mpyisi, the Bank’s Chief Financial Economist and ENABLE Youth Coordinator.

The Competition received over 1,000 applications from African “agripreneurs,” including around 250 entries from women-owned or led small and medium enterprises.

“It’s reassuring to see and evaluate hundreds of great potential investment opportunities from across the region,” said Diana Gichaga, Managing Partner at Private Equity Support.

“It reaffirms the crucial role that the agricultural sector plays in the African economy and the continued efforts to bring these initiatives to the fore through platforms such as the AgriPitch Competition,” she added.

The AgriPitch Competition is a central and recurring activity of the African Development Bank’s ENABLE Youth Program, sponsored by the Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Trust Fund of the Bank.

The 2022 edition will award three start-up categories: Early start-ups (0-3 years of operation), Mature start-ups (3 or more years in operation) and Women-empowered businesses (firms with at least 51% share of women ownership or founded by a woman).

The finalists will pitch their business plans to potential investors in the AgriPitch deal room and be eligible for one-on-one mentorship as well as access to post-competition digital expertise.

Click here to watch the video announcement of the 25 finalists for the 2022 AgriPitch Competition, using this access code: .51E*7M.

Patoma Admin by — January 10, 2023 in Banking & Finance 0
Germany: Minister vows swift punishment of perpetrators of New Year’s Eve riots

By Favour Nnabugwu

 

 

Germany’s Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, has called for quick sentences of perpetrators of the New Year’s Eve riots in several German cities, including Berlin, Hamburg, Bonn, Dortmund and Essen.

During a visit to a fire station in the Berlin district of Neukölln, Ms Faeser stated that juvenile offenders should immediately feel a quick legal consequence of their actions and be made to realise that the state was capable of acting.

She also spoke out in favour of improved social work in day-care centres and schools.

Faeser visited the Neukölln fire station with the Governing Mayor of Berlin, Franziska Giffey, and spoke with emergency personnel who were on duty on New Year’s Eve. Faeser called it a “disgusting kind of criminality” by young people when, for example, firefighters were lured into an ambush.

Regarding the debate on failed integration biographies, Faeser said that it must be addressed. “It would not be right to conceal the migration background of perpetrators,” she said. “But it would also be wrong to misuse this for political discussions.”

Germans have expressed outrage following the New Year’s Eve rioting and attacks on emergency personnel in Berlin and other cities. There were reports of rockets, firecrackers and even a starting pistol being fired at emergency vehicles. Forty-one police officers were hurt in Berlin alone, according to media reports.

The majority of the 145 people detained during the Berlin riots, according to the police, were men. Of those detained, 45 were German nationals (mostly of foreign origin), 27 were of Afghan nationality and 21 were Syrians. Leading conservative politician Jens Spahn blamed unregulated migration and poor integration for the riots, sparking a larger discussion.

Meanwhile, an organisation of journalists with a migration background has criticised the German media for the way they are reporting on the incidents.

“We observe with concern how much force the reporting on New Year’s Eve has intensified, with journalistic due diligence sometimes falling by the wayside. The tendency to focus on the (alleged) origin of the perpetrators or their parents fuels prejudices, prevents a proper analysis and obscures the view of possible solutions,” the New German Media Practitioners (Neuen deutschen Medienmacher*innen e.V.) said in a press statement, warning against stigmatisation.

“Of course, the events of New Year’s Eve must be reported and their causes researched. In doing so, allegations and conclusions should be covered by a secure data basis and not be based on speculation,” the organisation said.

“A (supposed) ‘migration background’ as an explanation for crimes or problems leads to the false conclusion of ethnicising crime. In most cases, other factors are decisive, such as age, gender, economic situation, social milieus in which people with a migration history are statistically more strongly represented. If in big cities half of the young men have a so-called migration background and the incidents are predominantly started by young men, it is hardly surprising that among the perpetrators there are often people who are read as migrants. To omit these contexts is a violation of journalistic due diligence.

Patoma Admin by — January 10, 2023 in Foreign 0