© 2018 AU-IBAR. Development of a Business Model for the Establishment of Regional Technology and Innovation Incubation hubs in Africa (A-TiChubs).Africa is increasingly becoming a key player in acquiring, generating and applying knowledge to development challenges. Yet more needs to be done to make technology and innovation play its part in the quest for transformation and diversification of the African economies. Sustained support to help member States put in place a favorable technology transfer and innovation development environment to address member states pressing needs is required. The drive is to promote the growth of knowledge based economies for the African continent.

As part of providing leadership and coordination in the sustainable development of the continent’s Animal Resources, AU-IBAR is implementing a 5-year project on "Sustainable Development of Livestock for Livelihoods in Africa - Live2Africa". The Live2Africa project gives effect to the Livestock development strategy for Africa (LiDeSA) and is aligned with Agenda 2063 development goals. One of the key project’s focus areas is to enhance innovation development, generation and utilization of technologies, capacities and entrepreneurship skills of livestock value chain actors. Thus, the project seeks to establish Regional Technology and innovation incubation hubs in Africa (A-TiChubs). The impetus of the A-TiChubs creation is to provide creative spaces, infrastructural services, mentorship, intellectual property management, access to financial resources and networking opportunities for technology innovators, technology accelerators, agribusiness entrepreneurs, and technology entrepreneurs. The vision is that the A-Tichubs will be the centerpiece of revolutionizing technology, innovation, skills and promoting knowledge-based economies in the African livestock sector.

In light of this, a write-shop "Development of business model for the establishment of regional Technology and Innovation Incubation hubs in Africa (A-TiChubs)" was convened by AU-IBAR from 19^th – 22^nd November 2018 in Arusha, Tanzania. The consultative workshop was attended by a total of 35 participants who were drawn from selected Member States, Universities, Private sector, regional and International organizations amongst other key stakeholders. The meeting was officially opened by the Director of Veterinary Services, Professor Hezron Nonga.

© 2018 AU-IBAR. 7th Experience Sharing Workshop on Sanitary Regulation and Enforcement; Banjul, the Gambia, 27 to 29 September 2018.The 7^th experience sharing workshop on Sanitary Regulations and Enforcement was jointly held by the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources and the Pan African Parliament (PAP) from 27^th to 29^th September 2018 in Banjul, Republic of The Gambia. The workshop was chaired by Hon Aurelien Simplice Kongbelet Zingas from Central Africa Republic on behalf of the President of PAP and was moderated by Hon El Hadj Issa Azizou, PANAF Coordinator at PAP.

The workshop was opened by Hon. Momodou L. K. Sanneh, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of The Gambia who underscored the importance of the animal resource sector to Africa’s agricultural transformative agenda and the critical role sanitary measures play in promoting public and animal health and the facilitation of international trade. The Hon. Deputy Speaker assured participants of African Union Member States’ commitment to support the commercialization of the sector for the socio-economic development and wellbeing of Africans. Dr. Baboucarr Jaw, Chief Animal Health Officer, on behalf of the Director of AU-IBAR, and the Representative of President of PAP also presented their statements and recommitted to supporting the establishment and strengthening of institutional structures, policies and legal frameworks to promote animal resource development in Africa. The workshop was attended by member of PAP’s Committee on Rural Economy, Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, other Parliamentarians, staff from AU-IBAR and the Secretariat of PAP.

The objectives of the workshop were to:

• create awareness amongst the members of PAP and other Parliamentarians on AU-IBAR Programmes on animal resources and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) issues relevant for Africa.
• articulate the oversight role of Members of PAP and other Parliamentarians on SPS issues and their tracking using Monitoring and Evaluation system.

The broad conclusions of the workshop are:

© 2018 AU-IBAR. Workshop of Stakeholders for Harmonization of Methodologies for Comprehensive Fish Trade Corridor Mapping and Analysis in Africa; Naivasha – Kenya, 3rd – 5th October 2018.Introduction

An expert consultative workshop on harmonization of methodology for comprehensive fish trade corridor mapping and analysis in the five regions of Africa took place in Naivasha, Kenya from the 3^rd to the 5^th October 2018. The workshop was organized by the African Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) with support from the European Union.

The workshop was a follow-up to the EU Funded Fish Trade Project that was implemented from 2013 to 2018 by WorldFish in collaboration with AU-IBAR and the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA). One of the important lessons learnt from the implementation of the Fish Trade Project was that there is a prevalence of informal fish trade in Africa along diverse trade corridors that were not within the portfolio of the Project; and therefore most AU member states with high fish production were not captured in the corridor analyses conducted. Also, North Africa was not included in the EU Fish Trade Project.

For a detailed understanding of the extent of intra-regional fish trade on the continent, it is therefore important that a comprehensive mapping of fish trade corridors be conducted in the whole of the continent, taking into account the above lessons. The outcome of this study would be critical to consolidating the achievements made by the Fisheries Governance and Fish Trade Projects in enhancing intra-regional fish trade for food security and poverty reduction on the continent.

The current initiative, which is also been funded by the EU, has therefore been conceived to conduct comprehensive mapping of cross-border fish trade corridors and analyze the characteristics of trade patterns along these corridors. The comprehensive mapping exercise is expected to contribute to knowledge and realistic policy actions towards strengthening intra-regional fish trade on the continent and contribute to the attainment of Malabo Goals on enhancing intra-regional fish trade, poverty alleviation and reducing hunger.

Five regional consultants (west, central, and east, southern and north) have been recruited to conduct the identification and mapping of fish trade corridors, trade patterns and characteristics. The consultants are tasked to identify main characteristics of the identified trade corridors, key aspects of fish trade along the corridor, and make recommendations on how to improve cross-border fish trade along the corridors.

© 2018 AU-IBAR. Atelier pour la Création d’un Comité Régional de Facilitation du Commerce Transfrontalier des Produits de la Pêche entre le Cameroun, le Gabon et la Guinée Equatoriale;Libreville 12-14 Septembre 2018.Introduction

Du 12 au 14 Septembre 2018, s’est tenu à Libreville au Gabon, l’atelier de concertation et de coordination institutionnelle pour faciliter le commerce transfrontalier des produits halieutiques entre le Cameroun, le Gabon et la Guinée Equatoriale.

L’atelier était organisé conjointement par le Bureau Interafricain des Ressources Animales de l’Union Africaine (UA-BIRA), et WorldFish Center en collaboration avec le Gouvernement de la République Gabonaise, la Communauté Économiques des États de l’Afrique Centrale (CEEAC), la Commission Régionale des pêches du Golfe de Guinée (COREP), La Commission Economique pour le Bétail, les Viandes et les Ressources Halieutiques (CEBEVIRHA), avec l’appui de l’Union Européenne.

L’objectif de l’atelier était d'établir une plate-forme multisectorielle transfrontalière pour faciliter le commerce transfrontalier du poisson et des produits de la pêche entre le Cameroun, le Gabon et la Guinée équatoriale.

Les objectifs spécifiques de l'atelier étaient :

• créer le comité intersectoriel pour faciliter la traversée de la frontière des produits de la pêche à Kyosi au Cameroun en relation avec le Gabon et la Guinée Equatoriale.
• développer un mécanisme d'opérationnalisation du comité intersectoriel.
• élaborer la feuille de route, plans d'action pour la mise en œuvre des recommandations du Kyosi vers des mesures pratiques visant à faciliter le commerce interrégional transfrontalier.
• formuler de procédures harmonisées pour faciliter le commerce intra régional.