The United States Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) plans to modify the country’s visa to accommodate business travellers. This was disclosed by David Hinson, deputy director, Minority Business Development Agency, United States Department of Commerce at a U.S-Africa Trade Investment conference last week.

At least 40 women from various parts of sub-Saharan Africa are to converge in Washington D.C in June under the auspices of the African Growth Opportunity Act, AGOA.

Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Professor Adebowale Adefuye says with credible free and fair elections, Nigeria is now the arrowhead of democracy in Africa.

The developing world’s progress is seriously lagging on global targets related to food and nutrition, with rates of child and maternal mortality still unacceptably high, says the Global Monitoring Report (GMR) 2012, released last week by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Wednesday, April 11, 2012 is set to be the decision day for the announcement of a new World Bank president that will succeed outgoing Robert Zoellick on June 25.

Election Campaigns As the United States general elections approache, the festering immigration talks between the Democratic and Republican parties seem to be taking the back seat for the economy as campaign issues.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the West African Development Bank (WADB) signed a loan agreement of capital subscription of EUR 3.05 million and a line of credit of EUR 64 million to the West African Development Bank (WADB). The objective of this facility is to strengthen WADB's financial capacities and to assert its role as a strategic partner of AfDB in financing the private sector, the engine of growth in West Africa.

With support from three African countries, home country Nigeria, South Africa, Angola and South American country, Brazil, Nigeria’s Finance Minister Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is edging close to the top job at the World Bank.