2016 commemorates the 35th anniversary of Bob Marley’s death. Perhaps no other musician has had such a profound impact on how we see the world and our place in it as Marley, who died on 11 May 1981. He infused powerful social messages – of unity and strength in the face of oppression – in his music. German reggae enthusiast …

US-Nigerian poet and devel­op­ment com­mu­ni­ca­tions scholar, who teaches Yoruba at the Uni­ver­sity of Florida, Gainsville, writes about his experiences at Bonn’s first sus­tain­abilty bar camp which took place on 25 June.

The Initiative Schwarze Menschen in Deutschland (Initiative of Black People in Germany or ISD) marked the 30th anniversary of its founding recently. The ISD is the first and the most important group formed by the African diaspora after World War II in this country for the promotion of its interests. Although Blacks have not attained the level of social prominence …

Investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, whose trademark is his anonymity, has become famous all over the world for his unconventional way of unearthing corruption. His recent exposé video recordings, revealing corruption in Ghana’s judiciary, has been watched by millions across the world. Reporting from Accra, Francis Sackitey writes on how the sensational scandal can affect foreign investment in a country …

Cape Town’s hypermodern airport welcomes visitors with its shiny and squeaky clean appearance. Everything is well-organised and immigration formalities swiftly and efficiently dealt with. And yet something seems to be missing and soon it becomes obvious: there are hardly any Black Africans. This jars with the idea of an African country. The drive to the city deepens the impression of …

The World Best African Dance Championships took place recently in Berlin, parading some of the best Afro dancers in the world. The artists, from 12 countries, competed as soloists and crews in the categories 1vs1 Afro House, 1vs1 Coupé Décalé and 2vs2 Afro Fusion. There was no pre-qualification for the contest as the participants were able to register at the …

At the end of his three-nation African trip in June, Pranab Mukherjee, the Indian President, said: “We have, through these visits, conveyed the message that India takes its engagement with Africa seriously and intends to follow up with determination on the announcements made at the India-Africa Forum Summit. India is committed to further consolidate our cooperation with all African countries.” …

  Ethiopia is to be a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for two years. The country may spread peace while on blue helmet missions abroad, but critics complain that political space at home is contracting. The vote at the UN General Assembly electing Ethiopia as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council turned out to be largely …

Angelique Kidjo, the Beninese-born singer and songwriter, received her third “Best World Music Album” Grammy Award for her 2015 release Sings in February. It’s the artist’s second consecutive win in that category: her 2014 album Eve, which paid tribute to African women, won last year.  Sings is a collaboration of Kidjo with the 110-piece Orchestre Philharmonique Du Luxembourg, led by …

Ethiopia seems to be attracting the attention of economists interested in Africa, and for good reason. Except for Rwanda, Ethiopia is the only African country whose economic growth has been consistently high for more than a decade without relying on a natural resource boom. Between 2004 and 2014, per capita growth in Ethiopia was 8% per year. This was the …

Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has announced its acceptance of a US$150 million 15 year loan facility from German development bank KfW. The loan agreement was signed on 22 June in London by Andrew Alli, CEO of AFC, and Jan Martin Witte, Head of Division for Infrastructure at KfW. The funds will be used to refinance projects across the corporation’s current …

Despite the anti-immigrant rhetoric coming from the “Leave” campaign, not all British citizens of African decent believe that the UK should remain in the EU. The eyes of the world are on the UK this week as it heads into its historic referendum to decide whether voters want Britain to leave the European Union (Brexit) or remain a member of …

In addition to its Business and Economy Class, Brussels Airlines now offers a new choice on its intercontinental flights: Economy Plus. The airline’s customers who fly to Africa, the US or Canada now have the choice out of three classes instead of two. Economy Plus is Brussels Airlines’ answer for passengers travelling in Economy Class who want a comfort upgrade …

Maazi Chukwuma Eze is the National Co-ordinator of Ndi Igbo Germany (NIG). Ndi Igbo means Igbo people, one of the three largest ethnic groups in Nigeria. The businessman, who is the proprietor of EZE Motors and EZE Shipping Service in Hanover, talks about the Nigerian economy, the performance of the one-year old Buhari administration, Igbo self-determination agitations and the situation …

From May to September, African festivals take place across Germany. From the southwestern city of Emmendingen (near Freiburg) to the federal capital and cultural metropolis of Berlin, events celebrating African music, arts and culture are being held. About 80,000 visitors made this year’s Africa Festival, which took place on 26-29 May in the Bavarian town of Würzburg, one of the …

Youth Think Tank Report provides insights into youth employment trends in East Africa East African youth are seeking a greater voice in their future, according to new youth-led research released today by The MasterCard Foundation Youth Think Tank. At a launch organized by Restless Development in partnership with The MasterCard Foundation, the 15 members of the Youth Think Tank revealed …

Ghana is very serious about attracting foreign investment, says Mawuena Adzo Trebarh, chief executive of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC). During an exclusive interview with our correspondent Francis Sackitey in Accra recently, she talked about the incentives offered by her country, the preferred sectors for investment and the advantages of doing business in Ghana, among other issues. Why should …

In a newly published global ranking of countries according to the travel freedom that their citizens enjoy, the German passport came in first position, offering visa-free travel to 177 countries, out of a possible 218. The Germans dethroned the Americans who held the first position last year and in 2014, according to the Henley & Partners Visa Restriction Index, released …

Based in the Bavarian capital, he is omnipresent on the contemporary art scene. In 2011, Okwui Enwezor became the first non-European director of a German art institution. Since then, he has been successfully running Munich’s “Haus der Kunst” (House of Art).  Born in Nigeria in 1963, Enwezor studied literature and political science in New York. His breakthrough came in 1996 …

Two companies have recently commenced groupage container service to Nigeria from Germany. Groupage means the consolidation of several small shipments into a single container. Eze Shipping Service in Hanover and Vin Kem Shipping in Frankfurt/Main said they introduced the service in response to demand from their customers who would like to regularly send small consignment of goods to Nigeria. It …