AFRICA

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has announced that Nigerians living abroad who have difficulties renewing their expired passport and want to travel home could do so with the document. Aregbesola said government was conscious of the difficulties Nigerians were experiencing with passport renewal due to the Covid-19 pandemic and it was committed to alleviating the situation. “It is …

Nigerians in the diaspora have an opportunity to own houses in the country and also participate actively in money and capital markets, thanks to several investment packages rolled out by Ecobank. Mrs. Olukorede Demola-Adeniyi, Head of Ecobank’s Consumer Banking, has said that the bank is offering mortgage loans to Nigerians living abroad to finance property ownership in the country. She …

Ayoba is enjoying a busy 2021, with many upgrades and additions planned to its extensive list of features. The African Messaging App celebrates second birthday with 5.5m users and launches voice and video calling as well as web access CAPE TOWN, South Africa, May 4, 2021/ — Ayoba (www.ayoba.me), the African messaging app, has announced the launch of a new …

By Prof Wim Naudé* Until COVID-19 hit, the quality of life of youth (age 15-24) in sub-Saharan Africa had been steadily improving. According to the World Bank, by 2019 the youth literacy rate stood at 73%. Gross secondary school enrolment rates increased from 13 % in 1971 to 43 % by 2018. Youth unemployment rates have remained fairly stable, at around …

About 17 million Nigerians are believed to live in the diaspora and they are constitutionally excluded from participation in their homeland’s electoral process from outside the country. Voters who are resident outside Nigeria can only vote during elections if they travel back to Nigeria to register as voters in Nigeria and to vote during elections in Nigeria. As the country …

President Samia Hussein Suluhu has moved quickly to consolidate her power with the demise of the former president John Pombe Magufuli. Key in her agenda, is her effort to repair the frosty relations between Nairobi and Dodoma on the economic, diplomatic and political realms, writes Prof David Monda* as he analyses the Tanzanian leader’s maiden visit to Kenya. —– Kenya …

The Federal Government has extended the ongoing National Identification Number (NIN) and Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) integration exercise till June 30. Isa Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, gave the directive according to a statement jointly signed by Ikechukwu Adinde, director of public affairs at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and Kayode Adegoke, head of corporate communications at …

Testing of a sample of community water systems by a group of international researchers has revealed that: 80% of public taps and boreholes with handpumps had at least one part that exceeded international guidance on lead9% of drinking water samples exceeded World Health Organisation guidelines on leadNo-known safe exposure level to lead The scientists are warning that drinking water supplies …

The recently released Knight Frank Africa Horizons Report 2021/22, ranked Nairobi as the top city in Africa for innovation, followed by Cape Town in second, Kampala third, with Cairo and Johannesburg at fourth and fifth place respectively. The report notes that the ability of African cities to emerge resilient from the pandemic will depend on their ability to innovate, providing long-term social …

MY! is an inclusive social media platform that appeals to all age groups NAIROBI, Kenya, April 27, 2021/ — MyCountry MyWorld is set to launch MY! a social media platform for Africans by Africans providing possibilities in world exploration by giving users the opportunity to bring their country and world to each other. MY! A social media platform is set …

NAIROBI, Kenya, April 29, 2021/ — With Kaspersky (africa.Kaspersky.com) research showing that stalkerware affected one out of every 100 mobile users in Kenya and Nigeria in 2020 and malware every four out of 100 in South Africa, consumers must remain vigilant when it comes to their online activities if they are to keep themselves safe from the growing threat of …

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has been quoted as having assured that the backlog of passport application and issuance would be cleared latest by 31 May 2021. In a statement issued by Gabriel Odu of the Media, Public Relations and Protocol Department of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), the minister made the pledge when he received Hon …

Germany has announced its support for the establishment of a German-West African Centre for Global Health and Pandemic Prevention in Ghana. “Excellent news: Germany will support the launch of a new “German-West African Center for Global Health and Pandemic Prevention,” the German ambassador to Ghana, Christoph Retzlaff, tweeted on his official handle on Thursday evening. “It will be located in …

Pine Kazi, a women-led shoe design house based in Kenya, is the winner of Fashionomics Africa’s sustainable fashion competition. The fashion company, which converts pineapple leaf and recycled rubber into fashionable footwear, wins a $2,000 cash prize, access to media exposure opportunities, and mentorship and networking opportunities from competition collaborators. Fashionomics Africa is an initiative of the African Development Bank, …

Many Nigerians living in the diaspora hold Nigerian driving licences which they use to drive anytime they are visiting their home country. However, it has been revealed that many of these driving licences are not genuine even though they were obtained at the agency officially responsible for issuing the document. A Berlin-based legal practitioner, Efosa Ogieriakhi, recently revealed to The …

UN human rights experts* today (13 April) called on the Government of Uganda to immediately stop the brutal crackdown on its political opponents which began in the lead-up to January’s disputed general elections and continues to suppress opposition supporters. “We are particularly alarmed by the reports of widespread and continued repression against opposition leaders and their supporters,” the experts said. …

The Nigerian Government on Thursday received a stolen Ile-Ife artefact from Mexico.  Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama received the artwork from the Charge D’affaires of the Nigerian mission in Mexico, Yakubu Dadu. “Presented with an ancient bronze sculpture by Dr. Yakubu Dadu, Chargé Affaires of The Nigerian Embassy in Mexico,” the minister tweeted on his official handle. “This Ife …

Harrison Mwilima, Kiswahili correspondent for the German international broadcaster DW in Berlin, explains how Tanzania’s recent peaceful transition of power following President Magufuli’s death was not only a result of adhering to the constitution but also respecting the country’s political culture. When Tanzania announced the death of President John Pombe Magufuli on March 17, the East African nation went into 21 …

The Federal Government has extended the deadline for people to link their National Identification Numbers (NINs) to their Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards by one month. This was announced on Friday in a statement jointly signed by the Director of Public Affairs of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, and the Head of Corporate Communications at the National …

Nigerians are furious that President Muhammadu Buhari has travelled to London for a ‘routine medical check-up’ and are venting their anger online. A statement from the presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina, had informed Nigerians on Monday that President Buhari would be travelling to London on Tuesday but he did not reveal Buhari’s condition. Adesina however assured Nigerians that the president would …