The pan-African magazine of choice since 2009
Nigeria’s government is promoting a “Made in Nigeria” agenda, with strides made in the local production of shoes, which is reflected in the success of companies like Bata Nigeria. And with each drop in the reliance of import purchases, there is an equal rise in national pride. Two men in gray jumpsuits brush glue onto …
Nigeria’s local shoemakers bask in national pride Read More »
One of Africa’s most indomitable political parties, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front, has ruled Ethiopia since 1991 with absolute control. Last December, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took a huge risk and disbanded the party as part of his efforts to set the country’s political direction in a whole new direction. But some powerful figures …
As Ghana’s general elections approach in December, the Electoral Commission has announced plans to scrap the voters’ register and compile a new one amid the coronavirus outbreak, and at a huge cost to the nation, all just months before the campaign season begins. As if that was not risky enough, it has now transpired that …
Finally, after years of civil war and months of deadlocked peace talks, rival South Sudanese leaders President Salva Kiir and Riek Machar are sharing power in a new peace deal. But can they manage to work out the details of governing without rupturing the fragile truce between their forces, and also make peace with smaller …
Libya has been deeply unstable, with outside powers providing support to rival armed factions since Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in a 2011 uprising. In an attempt to break the cycle of violence, world leaders attended a peace summit in Germany at which they agreed to uphold a UN arms embargo and end military backing for …
Eight West African nations have agreed to use a new single currency, the “Eco”. The new currency is set to be released in June this year, and it is hoped other neighboring countries will adopt it as well. But sharing the same currency may not be the simple solution to solving the serious economic problems …
A single currency in West Africa – Is the timing right? Read More »
A recent catwalk by models in Paris at the Haute Couture Fashion Week sporting gowns made of an indigenous cotton cloth from Burkina Faso were impressive enough, but much moreso when you realize that their designer, Cameroonian Imane Ayissi, has been trying to break that cultural fashion barrier for 28 years. He is now the …
Ayissi finally hits Paris Haute Couture in style Read More »
The conflict in Cameroon is close to escalating, and possibly further fueling the instability in Central Africa, and unless the African Union becomes more proactive in resolving it, there could be chaos ahead. Gabriel Ngah Kiven and Cheryl Hendricks argue. The violent conflict that erupted in the northwest and southwest regions of Cameroon in 2016 …
China’s official discourse in Africa has always been portrayed as either a “win-win” or an “all-weather” friendship. But recent racist events in the Chinese city of Guangzhou, which is home to the largest African immigrant population in Asia, has changed the whole terrain. Shamed, Beijing has increased its diplomatic efforts in Africa to repair the …
Chinese send Africans flowers after maltreating them Read More »
It’s been one year since the 2019 general election in Nigeria and the courts are still busy deciding who the winners were in dozens of districts. When one looks at the rate at which the courts, and not the electorate, actually end up deciding the winners of the polls in the country, one must agree …