After more than a decade of advocacy, the Nigerian Diaspora Commission became a reality recently when Acting President Yemi Osinbajo assented to the Bill establishing the body. An active participant in the process that led to the realization of the Commission is Collins Nweke*, Belgium-based media and development consultant and an elected communal politician who served in various leadership positions …

The Chinese-built 756 km electrified rail project connecting landlocked Ethiopia to Djibouti will start commercial operations in October, said the Ethiopian transportation minister has announced. Speaking to Chinese news agency Xinhua, Ahmed Shide, Minister of Ethiopia’s Ministry of Transportation, said the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway is a showcase of China’s support for Ethiopia’s efforts to transform its economy through infrastructural development. …

The 2017 edition of the All Africa Music Awards (Afrima) has received an overwhelming response after receiving 4,816 entries from African music artistes and music professionals at the close of the two-month entry submission process. The African Union and the International Committee of Afrima had opened the 2017 Afrima call for entries on 8 May 2017 giving an opportunity to …

Afruibana, a group of fruit producers and exporters from Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana that aims to strengthen trade between Africa and EU, has been launched. The body was officially launched in Brussels during Cameroon’s Trade Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana’s visit to European institutions on 19 July. The association will allow fruit producers on the continent to combine their …

The emergence of terror groups with global reach following the wars in the Middle East has shown that events in the explosive region have potentially devastating impact worldwide. In this by-lined article for Project Syndicate, Joschka Fischer, former German Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor, sounds a note of warning to the international community that the imminent defeat of the so-called …

Senegalese singer, songwriter and businessman Akon has called on African youth to play an active role in rebuilding the continent and not depend on governments. The American-born music star was addressing over 2,800 youth from all over Africa on Friday (21 July) in Rwanda’s capital Kigali during the final day of the maiden YouthConnekt Africa Summit organised to shape the …

Louise Hunt, freelance journalist specialising in social affairs and international development, writes on the situation of Gambian migrants in Europe whose case for asylum has been weakened by the overthrow of their country’s long-reigning autocratic leader. The Gambia’s leader of 22 years, Yahya Jammeh, used to give Gambians good cause for claiming asylum, even if the majority were fleeing poverty …

The annual summer season of African music and culture in Germany has been in full swing since April. Here are 10 Top Festivals, holding from now until the end of summer, promising an unforgettable experience:   Afrika-Orient Kulturfestival Bonn  28 – 30 July / Bonn, Bottlerplatz & Friedensplatz In addition to live performances by high-calibre musicians, story-tellers and dancers and …

The number of cases filed by asylum seekers challenging the decisions of immigration authorities in German courts has brought the legal system to the brink of collapse, a top German judge has warned in an interview. The sheer number of cases filed has overwhelmed the civil courts of the country, said Robert Seegmuller, chairman of the Association of German Administrative …

The Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Thursday passed a resolution to increase the number of participating teams in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) from 16 to 24. The change will take effect from 2019 when Cameroon hosts it. The, tournament which has traditionally been held in January and February, will also be staged in …

Air France has launched Joon, a new carrier that will start operating medium-haul flights from Paris-Charles de Gaulle this autumn, followed by long-haul flights in summer 2018.  The name Joon, which echoes the word “jeune” for “young” in French, is aimed at young working adults aged 18 to 35 year, whose lifestyles revolve around digital technology, Air France said in …

Radio France International’s Hausa service journalist Ahmed Abba, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison this year by a Cameroon military tribunal, has been named the 2017 International Press Freedom Award recipient. The annual prize is awarded by media rights body Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) to honour journalists who show courage in defending press freedom despite facing attacks, …

Tahiru Azaaviele Liedong, Assistant Professor of Strategy at the University of Bath, UK, explains why Africans have little confidence in their political leadership and he suggests how the democratic system can be reformed to work for the people and end the looting of public funds in the continent. A few months ago, a video in which a street boy blamed …

All roads lead to the southern German city of Munich on Saturday, 22 July for the Yoruba Cultural Festival 2017. Guests from Nigeria and across Europe are expected at the one-day event which will feature several activities, including cultural performances, an exhibition and a discussion forum. The occasion, which will be chaired by the Acting Head of Mission of the …

The Italy Chapter of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE) has elected a new executive council. At the end of a hotly-contested vote in Rome on Saturday (15 July), Dr Akuwudike Lawrence Ibekwe emerged Chairman and Mr Godwin Obaseki, Vice Chairman. Other officials elected at the annual general meeting of NIDO Italy are Mr Fidel O’Neil Wilson (General Secretary), …

Almost one third of the respondents in Bavaria, one of the country’s 16 federal states, say they want independence from Germany, according to a new poll published on Sunday (16 July). Thirty-two per cent of Bavarians agreed with the statement that their “state should be independent from Germany,” a survey conducted by the YouGov market research company for the popular …

The prestigious travel publication Travel + Leisure has ranked Cape Town as the top city in Africa and the Middle East for 2017. Travel + Leisure’s poll, an annual list of the finest destinations to travel to based on food, culture, shopping and more, is based on the feedback of travellers, and, for the 16th time, Cape Town has maintained …

According to a new report of the Daily Mail, a London newspaper, German tennis legend Boris Becker became bankrupt due to a failed investment he made in a Nigerian oil company. Becker, who was declared bankrupt last month, is reported to have made the investment, which has now ‘plunged in value’, in 2013. The three-time Wimbledon winner lost a huge …

There are artists who believe their work should be assessed solely for its aesthetic qualities. This “art for art’s sake” philosophy should not be surprising as art is “the conscious creation of something beautiful or meaningful using skill and imagination”. There are others however who hold that beyond the beauty of their work, it should also send a social message. …

A team representing Nigerians living in the Bavarian city of Würzburg has emerged winners of the second edition of the Nigerian Ambassador’s Cup Germany. The football tournament, which took place on Saturday (14 July) in Berlin, was contested by the chapters of the Nigerian Community Germany (NCG) e.V. – the umbrella organisation of Nigerian associations in the country. This year …