Investments in market-driven energy projects in Asia, and other news (26 June 2019)

Each week we highlight some of the international development stories from across the globe that have caught our attention.

• 63.6% of adults in Nigeria now have access to financial services according to a survey by EFInA, which is funded by DFID and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The survey found that the three greatest obstacles to financial inclusion were affordability, institutional exclusion, and lack of awareness. Read more in The Nation (Nigeria).

• The National Statistics Committee in Kyrgyzstan has reported that unemployment has increased by 19.2% since the start of the year, compared to the same period last year. The Ministry of Labour and Social Development has submitted a draft proposal for providing one-time social assistance to poor and low-income families between 2019 and 2022. Read more in The Times of Central Asia.

• The World Bank are providing US$75 million to develop industrial parks in Ghana as part of the Ghana Economic Transformation Project. A further £20 million is being given by DFID to help create jobs through industrial parks. Read more in Ghana Web.

• $11.2 million has been given to the Ministry of Trade and Industry in Rwanda to fund cross-border markets around the country. Part of the funds will go towards the National Trade Facilitation Committee in order to support negotiation and implementation of trade agreements. Read more in All Africa.

• USAID and the Asian Development Bank have signed an agreement to provide $7 billion for investments in sustainable and market-driven energy projects throughout Asia and the Pacific, with USAID offering technical assistance. Read more in The Daily Tribune.