The pan-African magazine of choice since 2009
The COVID-19 pandemic has been catastrophic for Nigeria’s film industry, halting production and shuttering theaters. A quarter of the one million people it employs could lose their jobs, and making new films has been hindered by the requirement that actors stay six feet apart. Abraham Achirga and Alexi Akwagyiram report. Nigeria’s film industry is creeping …
In March 2018, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition-party leader Raila Odinga announced a pact to work together. The agreement, a surprise because Odinga had claimed the presidency after the disputed 2017 election, represents an alliance between the elites of two of the country’s largest ethnic groups. But like similar arrangements in the past, it …
In this wide-ranging interview in July, John Dramani Mahama, Ghana’s former president and leader of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), explains why he finds it necessary to run again for president. The “poor performance,” as Mahama puts it, of the government of President Nana Akufo-Addo and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) necessitates its …
When FIFA took over the Confederation of African Football (CAF) after allegations of corruption and internal breakdown, it was expected they would hand it back as a cleaned house. But FIFA has announced many key changes and reforms regarding how the game is played, invested in and refereed, even proposing that the favored Africa Cup …
Throughout this in-depth report, Africawatch reveals how the clandestine mission by the government to kill uniBank actually unfolded. We take readers through the destructive actions undertaken by the Ministry of Finance, headed by Ken Ofori-Atta, the Bank of Ghana, led by Dr. Ernest Addison, and the Official Administrator/ Receiver, KPMG, headed by Nii Amanor Dodoo, …
Because of the havoc wreaked by the Covid-19 pandemic, African countries want a blanket moratorium on all debt service to the continent’s creditors. As expected, the creditors are not agreeable. But in this commentary, Rodrigo Olivares-Caminal urges both the lenders and investors to understand that time is of the essence and that breathing time is …
How Africa can bridge the financing gap post-coronavirus Read More »
The COVID-19 epidemic has taken the lives of several hundred Africans including some of the continent’s prominent figures, and left the people with so many broken hearts and too much pain. Here are brief profiles of some of the victims of the coronavirus pandemic that will always be remembered. Manu Dibango Soul Makossa’ saxophonist Manu …
There is still a great deal that’s not known about the coronavirus. Neelaveni Padayachee and Lisa Claire du Toit report that this limited scientific information has contributed to a slew of myths and misconceptions. Some claims being made are harmless. Others can be potentially dangerous. They present here some misconceptions doing the rounds in Africa …
In Lagos plastic waste is everywhere to be seen, as people continue to be casual about littering. Artist Adeyemi Emmanuel collects such waste and turns it into fashionable leather bags to raise environmental awareness. Nneka Chile reports. The sight of discarded plastic bottles and bags floating in the open drains of Nigeria’s megacity Lagos moved …
Nigerian artist creates leather bags out of plastic waste Read More »
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 »