Originally titled ‘Evanesce’, Berlin-based legal scholar and creative author Nelly Sarpong writes on a fictional precarious journey across the Mediterranean in a rickety boat overfilled with African migrants, revealing the perils faced by thousands of migrants every year in their quest for better life in Europe.

While most African countries hold regular elections, the people are not satisfied with the performance of their elected leaders. According to opinion polls, most Africans feel that they are yet to enjoy the economic fruits of democracy. Why has democracy not delivered economic dividends? At an event in Berlin, a Nigerian economist and former federal minister, Obiageli Ezekwesili, addressed the …

A panel discussion on how the Black community could engage the state for its empowerment was part of the People of African Descent Week which took place recently in Berlin. Panellists, including Berlin minister for justice, looked at how problems faced by Black people could be solved through community engagement with the government. The historic People of African Descent (PAD) …

On Christmas day, 11 Christian hostages were killed, 10 of whom beheaded, by Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria’s north-eastern Borno State and the chilling video of the dastardly crime circulated by the Islamic fundamentalists. On 20 January, Reverend Lawan Andimi, a clergyman, was also beheaded by the same terrorists. The plight of Christians in northern Nigeria is very precarious. A …

The Trump administration has issued a new rule  instructing United States consular officials to deny pregnant women visas unless they can prove “to the satisfaction of the consular officer” either that they are not traveling to the US to give birth, or that they have a legitimate medical reason to give birth in the country. In the latest immigration control measure, the United …

African Youth Abroad Empowerment (AYAE), a non-governmental organisation dedicated to educating, enriching and empowering the youth, is holding its first ever Free Coding BootCamp in collaboration with Leap Academy on 8 February in Berlin. According to the largest English-language news network in Europe, The Local’s publication of 9 January 2019 titled “Germany and Poland compete to fill labour gaps”, Germany …

Barely a few weeks after former US President Barack Obama’s revealed his favourite music list containing a song by Nigerian music star, Burna Boy, his wife Michelle has done the same. A song by the African Giant which is titled ‘My Money’ ‘My Baby’ sits on the fourth position on Michelle Obama’s workout playlist for 2020. Obama revealed in a …

About 200 people took the streets of Cologne on Saturday in a public demonstration against a recent controversial court ruling allowing the use of the word neger (subsequently referred to as the N-word in this report) to describe people of African descent. The protesters demanded that the use of the derogatory word be made illegal as it degrades Black people. …

The western German city Dortmund will witness the grand opening of a centre for Africans on 31 January. Afrika-Haus promises to be a veritable centre for community empowerment, as it’s a place to seek help to the myriad of issues faced by African migrants, as well as an entertainment hub. Afrika-Haus Dortmund, established by the non-governmental organization AfricanTide Union e.V., …

The revised Schengen Visa Code includes an increase in application fee, lengthier visa validity, extended application period, sanction for citizens of countries that refuse to readmit their citizens, among others.

The one-day conference on the bloody gridlock in Libya ended with an agreement on a ceasefire, but analysts say a lasting solution to the conflict is still a long way off. The Libya summit in Berlin concluded on Sunday in Berlin with a “new spirit” to find a lasting solution for peace, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said. Participants at the …

Janngo unveils Janngo Capital Startup Fund, its €60m Venture Capital fund dedicated to financing tech-enabled startup accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa, with a €15m anchor investment by the European Investment Bank On the eve of its participation to the 50th World Economic Forum, Janngo pledges 60€ million to back technology startups with a double bottom …

Germany’s technology company Siemens has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Ghana to address the country’s energy and infrastructure challenges, while contributing to the country’s growth and development agenda of creating high quality jobs and enhancing the vocational skills of Ghana’s youth. The MoU was signed by Siemens and the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) in …

African political and business leaders gather in London on Monday, 20 January for the UK-Africa Investment Summit. The Summit, hosted by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, brings together businesses, governments and international institutions to promote British investment in Africa. Taking place in the wake of Brexit, the Summit seeks to strengthen the UK’s economic position in African nations, which are …

The Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos handled 187.49 million kg of cargo and 7.319 million passengers last year, figures obtained by the national newspaper PUNCH from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria have shown. The Manager, South-West Airports, FAAN, Mrs Victoria Shina-Aba, who reportedly gave the figures, said the MMIA witnessed increased growth in passenger, cargo and aircraft movement in …

All the parties to the civil war in Libya will gather in the German capital city on Sunday in renewed efforts for peace in the North African country. Convened by Chancellor Angela Merkel, the talks bring together Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, who is the head of the United Nations-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), and Khalifa Haftar, commander of …

World heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has presented his IBF, WBA, WBO, and IBO titles to President Muhammadu Buhari. The 30-year-old celebrated his recent victory with President Buhari on Saturday in London when the Nigerian leader met with some Nigerians living in the United Kingdom. Excited Joshua, a British-Nigerian, could not hide his feelings as he prostrated to pay homage to …

Disagreement among members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has broken out over the adoption of a common currency in the bloc. Six member countries have rejected the move by eight others to adopt the name ‘Eco’ as their common currency. In a surprise move on 21 December, the eight West African countries using the CFA franc …

According to new figures released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), the population of the country stood at 83.2 million at the end of 2019 – 200,000 more than a year earlier. The population figure represents a new high, Destatis said even though the population growth was much smaller than in the years 2013 to 2018. The agency also revealed …

The political temperature in the West African nation of The Gambia is rising as thousands of supporters of former President Yahya Jammeh took to the streets of Banjul on Thursday (16 January) to demand for the return of the ousted ruler. The protest action, organised by Jammeh’s party Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction party (APCR), is to send a …