CULTURE & SOCIETY

The Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, Muhammad Babandede, has announced that the Service now has standard passport booklets in sufficient quantity for issuance, and has therefore directed Passport Control Officers to clear the backlog of all outstanding applications. A statement by NIS Public Relations Officer, Sunday James, says the CG has appealed to the general public to bear with …

 Travel websites that advertise rock bottom deals for flights and hotel bookings are not giving customers ‘accurate’ information. A European Commission report on online travel booking says two-thirds of the websites screened displayed misleading prices. Of the 352 price comparison and travel booking websites checked in October 2016, the Commission found 235 gave prices that were not reliable. The scrutiny …

Ngeria’s superstar Yemi Alade has kicked off the first leg of her ‘Mama Africa’ World Tour in the French capital and it was amazing. The Le Trianon venue was sold out several days before the Friday concert. Alade with her Ova Sabi band and dancers delivered an electrifying 90-minute performance to the pleasure of the Paris audience. The award-winning Afro …

Retailers, professionals, musicians and music lovers will converge in the German business city of Frankfurt from 4-8 April. They will attend this year’s Musikmesse (5 to 8 April 2017) and Prolight + Sound (4 to 7 April 2017). Both international trade fairs exhibit product innovations that make the world ring with music – and turn an event into a spectacular …

An epic story, based on true events, about two people who loved each other so deeply, they risked losing everything to be together—their families, homes, even their countries opens in German cinema today. Vivian Asamoah reports. A UNITED KINGDOM tells the inspiring true story of Seretse Khama, the King of Bechuanaland (modern Botswana), and Ruth Williams, the London native he …

“Chikwe – Es Bleibt Ein Traum” (Chikwe – A Forlorn Dream), a book about a Nigerian migrant’s tragic odyssey, has been awarded the Immigration Book Fair Book Prize 2017. The author of the book is Beatrice Onyele (76), a retired nurse based in Frankfurt who has been living in Germany since 1966. She wrote the book in German language. “The …

The BBC Hausa Service will be celebrating its 60th anniversary next week. Various events, recognising the history and success of the service, have been lined up for its Diamond Jubilee in London and Nigeria. BBC Hausa is part of the BBC World Service and reaches 23.3 million people on a weekly basis. It broadcasts to Hausa-speaking audiences, providing radio, online and …

Félicité, a story about a nightclub singer in Kinshasa who has to desperately find funds to pay for her son’s treatment after a road accident, won the top prize at Africa’s top film festival at the weekend. The film won the Étalon de Yennenga (Golden Yennenga Stallion) award at the 25th edition of the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of …

The city of Frankfurt will again host the Nollywood Film Festival Germany (NFFG) and its sister event Nollywood Europe Golden Award (NEGA) this year, director Isaac Izoya has announced. The yearly event, organized by Ehizoya Golden Entertainment e.V., features Nollywood (Nigerian) film screenings, an award ceremony and networking opportunities for filmmakers. Nomination for Nigerian films to be screened at this …

  The 25th edition of the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (Fespaco) opened on Saturday, 25 February in the capital city of Burkina Faso. The theme of this year’s festival is “Training in Cinema and Audiovisual Trades”. Fespaco is one of the biggest film events on the African continent and it brings together African and international professionals and …

In his first novel “Season of Crimson Blossoms” Abubakar Adam Ibrahim speaks openly about female sexuality, broaching a taboo subject in conservative northern Nigeria. Gwendolin Hilse reports. “Because they were alone in the house and she had always wanted to do it and couldn’t contain herself, she groaned out loud. With his tongue, he had set free something deep inside her. …

The 67th Berlin International Film Festival – Berlinale – kicks off on 9 February in the German capital city. The Berlinale is one of the biggest international film festivals alongside the Cannes and Toronto film festivals. Up to 400 films are shown every year, mostly international or European premieres, and the festival, the world’s second largest audiovisual event, sells more …

Designers in Africa have seen their business suffer as a result of the economic crisis which has hit the continent. Many in different countries want to make fashion count as a burgeoning investment market and are looking at agencies to help them achieve their goal, as in Angola. “It’s time for those in the government to try and revive the …

Lucidly written, its precepts are very inspiring, writes Femi Awoniyi in his review of Germany-based Achille Nguemnang’s motivational book. Divided into short chapters and focused on particular themes, the book Between You and Your Purpose contains wisdom keys to overcome the hurdles between you and your goal – be it career, personal, whatever goal you have set for yourself. Being …

The installations she creates today using materials such as cloth, beads, wood, cement and resin are a departure from her early technically skilled paintings.

The best of African artistes were honoured on Sunday in Lagos, Nigeria, at the 3rd edition of the All Africa Music Awards – AFRIMA 2016.

The crème de la crème of the Nigerian film industry, popularly called Nollywood, will gather in the southwestern German city of Ludwigshafen on Saturday, 3 December. The reason for the gathering is the “Queen of Nollywood” Awards ceremony, which is being held outside of Nigeria for the first time this year. Among those to be honoured at the event are …

This film does not skimp on the clichés about both refugees and Germans. From the radical leftist friend of the family in the role of the "do-gooder," to the "Islamic State" sympathizer living in Diallo's refugee shelter, without forgetting the neo-Nazis protesting against their presence - they're all there.

Afro Juju exponent and one of Nigeria’s most famous musicians, Sir Sina Peters, is on a European tour.

The Berlin-based writer and winner of this year’s Ingeborg Bachmann Prize talks about the prize, German society, the Black experience in Europe and the role of writers in the struggle for a more inclusive society, among other issues.