ABU Secretary-General extends Chinese New Year greetings, hails partnership with CMG

The Secretary-General of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) Ahmed Nadeem has extended warm greetings to global audiences celebrating the Chinese New Year, praising the enduring partnership with China Media Group (CMG) and wishing success for the upcoming Spring Festival Gala.

In his video message, Nadeem described the CMG Spring Festival Gala as a cherished occasion that unites families in celebration of shared cultural traditions, extending his best wishes for its continued success.

The gala, set to be aired on Chinese New Year's Eve on Feb 16 this year, will combine traditional Chinese culture with modern stagecraft, as well as cross-cultural performances featuring international artists.

Commonly known as "Chunwan" in Chinese, the gala has been broadcast live every Chinese New Year's Eve since 1983 and has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the most-watched annual television program on the planet.

The full text of his message is as follows:

On behalf of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union，I would like to extend my warmest greetings and best wishes to everyone celebrating the Chinese New Year.

As we welcome the Year of the Horse, a symbol of strength, vitality, and forward momentum, may this new year bring renewed energy, resilience, and confidence as we move ahead together.

I would also like to express our sincere appreciation to China Media Group for its continued support and close collaboration with ABU.

We greatly value this partnership and look forward to strengthening our cooperation in the year ahead.

I extend my best wishes to China Media Group for the continued success of the CMG Spring Festival Gala, a cherished occasion that brings families together to celebrate shared cultural traditions.

May this Year of the Horse bring you good health, happiness, and prosperity, and may it be filled with peace and joyful moments for you and your loved ones. Happy New Year.

ABU Secretary-General extends Chinese New Year greetings, hails partnership with CMG

African officials on Wednesday pledged to scale up investment to accelerate development across the member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at a meeting in Accra, Ghana's capital.

They made the commitment during the 24th Annual General Meeting of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), where leaders highlighted the need to expand the bank's capital base to finance transformative projects.

Ghanaian Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson stressed that timely capital payments would strengthen EBID's leverage and sustain its growth, enabling the institution to stimulate inclusive economic expansion across the region.

"Timely capital payments are critical. It strengthens EBID leverage and sustains its growth and impact across our region. Expanding our capital base is essential to strengthen our ability to finance transformative development projects and stimulate inclusive economic growth among our member states," said Forson.

EBID recorded strong achievements in 2025, with total disbursements of about 722 million U.S. dollars, up 47.7 percent from 2024. Building on that momentum, President George Agyekum Donkor said the bank remains committed to helping member states tackle poverty and close infrastructure gaps across the region.

"We aim to direct at least 63 percent of new commitments towards the private enterprises to catalyze job creation and innovation. Simultaneously, the bank would embed environmental, social and governance principles across its operations, dedicating over 41 percent of resources to climate mitigation and social inclusion projects," said Donkor.

With disbursements surging nearly 48 percent last year, EBID officials said the bank is positioned to channel more resources into private-sector growth and climate-focused projects, reinforcing its role as a driver of inclusive development across West Africa.

African officials vow stronger investment push at ECOWAS bank meeting in Accra