Riz

Human Rights Advocate ll DemoGov Expert & Communications Enthusiast ll Development Cooperation works. Tweets are my own Opinion & Retweets are not Endorsements

[Riz @nrizzan]

"Loyalty is a Consequence of Leadership and Leadership is a Touchstone of Competence" #DesignatedSurvivor

[African Union Women, Gender & Youth Directorate @AU_WGYD]

@_AfricanUnion @WorldBankGroup @WorldBankAfrica @GIZAfricanUnion @WGYD_Director @MalokaVictoria1 📢 CALL FOR NATIONAL CONVENORS | 2nd #EgumeniDialogue

The @_AfricanUnion 👉🏾 @AU_WGYD invites eligible organizations to submit Expressions of Interest to lead as National Convenors!
📩 Submit to: [email protected]
🗓️ Deadline: 14 Aug 2026
🔗 Details: https://t.co/56a9sfbfj3

[African Union Women, Gender & Youth Directorate @AU_WGYD]

It’s happening again—and this time, it’s bigger & better! ✨

​Join us for the 2nd #EgumeniDialogue as we drive women’s financial & economic inclusion for a resilient Africa. 🌍

​📅 19–21 Oct 2026 |
📍 Addis Ababa, @_AfricanUnion HQ🇪🇹

​#EgumeniDialogue #GEWE

[UNDP Africa @UNDPAfrica]

Introducing the #AfYWL Fellowship Alumni Platform ✨

A growing network of African Young Women Leaders shaping sustainable development across the continent and beyond. 🌍

140 fellows. 31 countries. 4 cohorts. 🚀

Explore the platform: https://t.co/zInfkbliSz
#Agenda2063

[Africa CDC @AfricaCDC]

🇺🇬 Uganda Ebola Outbreak Update | As of May 30

Uganda’s Ebola response continues, with national teams and partners working to detect cases early, follow contacts, protect health workers and stop further transmission.

Every contact followed, every sample tested, and every frontline worker protected brings the response closer to interrupting transmission.

Africa CDC continues to support the Government of Uganda (@GovUganda), its @MinofHealthUG, and partners through surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory testing, case management and community engagement.

We are sharing Uganda-specific figures to provide clear, country-by-country information across affected countries. #AfricaResponds

[Riz @nrizzan]

@Ruthaine @Spartakussug My people, my people!!!!

[Mkazipreneur @mkazipreneur]

With $20,000 in seed funding from the #NSSFHiInnovator program, @MamaMucyara is scaling with intention

The business invested in high-quality inputs for mushroom cultivation, expanded its facility to include a dedicated training mushroom house for more women, acquired a tuk-tuk to ease transportation & installed two water tanks

This is what happens when the right support meets the right entrepreneur, growth you can see, impact you can measure. 🌱🚀

#WomenInBusiness #BoldWomen

@OutboxHub @MastercardFdn @nssfug

[CITI FM 97.3 @Citi973]

Ghana has launched West Africa’s first private Fund of Funds (FoF), Ci Gaba, raising GHS 383 million of its GHS 1 billion target to support SMEs and local fund managers.

#CiGaba #GhanaNews #CitiFM #ChannelOneTV

[Charles Onyango-Obbo @cobbo3]

Africa's Top 20 International Brands? Do You Agree? Add Your Candidate
1. The Springboks (South Africa): Africa’s most successful sports team across any discipline, holding a record four World Cup titles and an unrivaled global win rate.
2. Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopia): Africa’s most successful airline, generating $7.6 billion in annual revenue while operating a massive commercial network of 145 international destinations.
3. OCP Group (Morocco): A global leader in phosphate products, controlling roughly 30% of the world’s market share with 2025 revenues reaching $11.4 billion.
4. MTN Group (South Africa): A pan-African telecom giant with over 290 million subscribers and a mobile money ecosystem processing billions in transactions annually.
5. Dangote Group (Nigeria): An industrial titan producing 48.6 million metric tonnes of cement annually and operating one of the world’s largest single-train oil refineries.
6. M-Pesa (Kenya): A mobile money pioneer processing over $300 billion in annual transaction volume for its 50 million plus active users globally.
7. Flutterwave (Nigeria): A $3 billion payments unicorn facilitating digital commerce for global enterprises like Uber and Microsoft across 30 plus countries.
8. Yassir (Algeria): A fast-growing tech export dominating the Maghreb region with an integrated suite of ride-hailing and financial services.
9. TymeBank (South Africa): A digital banking disruptor that has successfully exported its model to reach over 8 million customers across Africa and the Philippines.
10. Andela (Nigeria/Global): A premier talent network that has placed thousands of African technologists into high-impact roles at global giants like Google and GitHub.
11. Burna Boy (Nigeria): A premier cultural export who has globalised the Afrobeats product, consistently selling out 60,000-capacity stadiums in London and New York.
12. Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya): The human embodiment of marathon excellence whose global ‘No Human Is Limited’ brand drives major Nike partnerships and world records.
13. Visit Rwanda (Rwanda): A sophisticated branding product that grew tourism revenue by 47% through high-visibility partnerships with Arsenal and PSG.
14. El Gouna (Egypt): A premier fully-integrated resort town, recognised globally as a benchmark for sustainable, carbon-neutral luxury tourism.
15. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria): A world-renowned intellectual brand whose books are translated into over 30 languages, defining modern African narrative reach.
16. MaXhosa Africa (South Africa): A high-end knitwear brand that has successfully commercialised Xhosa aesthetics for the global luxury market.
17. Zanele Muholi (South Africa): A photographic brand whose activist-driven visual products command high-value sales in elite global galleries like the Tate Modern.
18. Tomoca Coffee (Ethiopia): A gold-standard roaster that has scaled the ‘origin of coffee’ into a premium branded retail experience in markets like Tokyo and Dubai.
19. Amarula (South Africa): A cream liqueur exported to over 100 countries, turning the wild marula fruit into a globally recognised luxury spirit.
20. Naspers (South Africa): A global investment titan that holds a massive stake in China’s Tencent, making it one of the world's most successful technology investors.
Honorary note, Cassava Republic (Nigeria): A leading publishing house that has institutionalised the export of contemporary African literature to the Global North.

[Ambassador James Larsen 🇦🇺🇺🇳 @AustraliaUN]

Pleased to welcome Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi, Founder & Executive Director of @StandtoEndRape

Oluwaseun is the inaugural Women’s International Forum (WIF) Youth Award winner.

Thanks to Antoinette Merrillees for your leadership as WIF Vice President.

[Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda @vanyaradzayi]

During the 39th @_AfricanUnion Summit side event; in my presentation, I elaborated on how the push back and regressions to gender equality and women’s rights manifest and are undermining progress made.

⁉️ Questioning of internationally agreed language, defined in instruments like CEDAW or the Beijing Platform for Action and Maputo Protocol (language)

⁉️ Proposals for legal reform that reduce the guarantees and protections that already exist in current law, whether formally or by application of new law. The clawback on commitments

⁉️Redefining and minimizing the national institutions or mechanisms that advance gender equality, the rights and empowerment of women, justified on mainstreaming or cost efficiency arguments

⁉️Regression through resources, budget cuts and de-prioritisation. Gender machineries and community women’s groups are least funded.

Positive norms and laws, supportive policies, institutions and resource allocation backed by data and evidence is key to advancing peace, development and human rights with full and effective participation and contribution of women, half of humanity.

Thank you President of #Ghana @JDMahama, @AU_WGYD , Director Prudence Ngwenya and @unwomenAU for cohosting important event.

[African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights @achpr_cadhp]

At the High-Level Breakfast Meeting: Financing & Reaffirming Africa’s Gender Commitments,SRRWA underscored that financing gender equality is a legal obligation under the #AfricanCharter & #MaputoProtocol,requiring budgetary commitments to realise women’s economic & social rights.

[African Union Women, Gender & Youth Directorate @AU_WGYD]

Taking place on the margins of the 39th AU Summit, H.E. @JDMahama and AUC‑WGYD will tomorrow morning be hosting a High‑Level Breakfast Meeting to drive renewed momentum and unlock financing for impact.

#WYFEI2030 #AWDFEI

[Princy Mthombeni @Princymthombeni]

President @CyrilRamaphosa says he walked the streets of Johannesburg, knocking on 100 company doors until he secured a bursary because his parents couldn’t afford it. He says success won’t come knocking on your door and introduce itself; you have to go out and find it.

[African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights @achpr_cadhp]

CALL FOR INPUTS JOINT STUDY ON CHALLENGES OF LITIGATING WOMEN’S AND GIRLS’ RIGHTS BEFORE AFRICAN UNION HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANS https://t.co/g0h1k3ZCU6

[Dr. Banda Khalifa @dr_bandak]

I have interviewed more than a dozen times for a PhD across the USA and Canada…

This is what the PhD interviews actually test

Most applicants think the PhD interview is about proving how smart they are.

It’s not.

Committees already know you’re smart.
You wouldn’t be in the room otherwise.

Here’s what they’re really assessing 👇

⸻

1️⃣ Can you think?

They’re watching how you reason in real time.

• How you frame problems
• How you respond to uncertainty
• How you adjust when challenged

Perfect answers matter less than disciplined thinking.

⸻

2️⃣ Do you understand what a PhD actually is?

A PhD is not:
❌ more classes
❌ prestige
❌ being told what to do

It is:
✔ ambiguity
✔ long timelines
✔ rejection
✔ publishing before certainty

They’re testing whether you know what you’re signing up for.

⸻

3️⃣ Are you research-obsessed or outcome-obsessed?

Strong signal:
“I keep thinking about this question because…”

Weak signal:
“I want a PhD so I can…”

They want curiosity that survives boredom, not motivation that depends on applause.

⸻

4️⃣ Can you be mentored without being managed?

They’re asking (implicitly):

• Will you take feedback without defensiveness?
• Can you work independently?
• Will you ask good questions?

A PhD student is not a task-doer.
They’re a developing colleague.

⸻

5️⃣ Are you a risk or an investment?

Funding is limited.
Advisors are busy.
Slots are few.

They’re evaluating:
→ intellectual trajectory
→ emotional regulation
→ long-term fit

Not just whether you’re brilliant.
Whether you’re sustainable.

⸻

Bottom line:

PhD interviews are less about proving yourself and more about revealing yourself.

The candidates who do best don’t perform.

They explain how they think.

⸻

If you’re preparing for PhD interviews this cycle:

• stop memorizing answers
• start clarifying your research logic
• practice thinking out loud

That’s the real test.

—

If this was useful, repost for someone interviewing soon.

[African Court @court_afchpr]

African Human Rights Yearbook Volume 9 (2025)

The African Court has released Volume 9 of the African Human Rights Yearbook (2025), offering a timely reflection on key themes shaping human rights and justice in Africa.

This edition covers important topics such as children’s rights, reparative justice, holding institutions accountable, emerging legal challenges, and the evolution of human-rights law across Africa.

The Yearbook is a collaboration between the African Court, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, creating a space for scholars, experts, and institutions to share ideas and insights.

Stay informed on the latest developments shaping human rights and justice in Africa. Access the African Human Rights Yearbook, Volume 9 (2025) through the link below:

https://t.co/HQAMQ3qI6H

#HumanRightsAfrica #AfricanCourt #JusticeInAfrica #RuleOfLaw #AfricanCourtYearbook #AfricanCourt20

[AfCFTA Secretariat Official @AfCFTA]

H.E. Wamkele Mene met with Visa in Dubai to discuss the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area Protocol on Digital Trade.
The exchange focused on advancing interoperable cross-border payments, enabling trusted data flows, and promoting digital inclusion in support of Africa’s single market.
#AfCFTA #DigitalTrade #FinancialInclusion #CrossBorderPayments

[UN Development @UNDP]

$172 trillion would be added to the 🌏 economy if women earned the same as men.

Gender inequality doesn’t just hurt only women; it harms their families and the entire economy.

Here's why investing in people pays the highest returns: https://t.co/N2RxCOoQ7u

#WEF26

[Yiaga Africa @YIAGA]

NEW REPORT: Who will vote in 2027? Our latest National Voting Intentions Survey shows 77% of Nigerians are ready to hit the polls, but 42% are held back by fear of violence. Candidate quality & security will decide the day.
#NigeriaDecides2027 #VotingIntentions2027 #WatchingTheVote #NigeriaVotes

[African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights @achpr_cadhp]

https://t.co/WsXrP7eb7Y