AFRICA

Cameroon to receive 1 million licenses of Russian MyOffice software

Ministry of Primary Education of the Republic of Cameroon will receive 1 mln licenses of Russian MyOffice software. The memorandum was signed during a business mission held in the country, which entailed a series of meetings at the highest state level —- MOSCOW, Russia, May 17, 2021/ — MyOffice, the Russian developer of office software for joint work on documents …

Read More »

New incentives for ICT start-ups in Cameroon

Achare Takor*, a lawyer, takes a look at Section 124b of the General Tax Code of the Republic of Cameroon and how it sets to promote innovative ICT start-ups in the country by offering them incentives ————- DOUALA, Cameroon, May 13, 2021/ — By Achare Takor Over the last decade, information technologies (IT) have revolutionized the way people and businesses …

Read More »

Nigerians with expired passports can come home and renew at the airport – Minister

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 …

Read More »

Bank offers loans to Nigerians living abroad to build homes in Nigeria

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 …

Read More »

Why COVID-19 is likely to slow down a decade of youth development in Africa – Expert

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 …

Read More »

Diaspora voting: What chances for Nigerians abroad?

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 …

Read More »

What Tanzanian President Suluhu’s visit to Kenya means for the two countries

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 …

Read More »

Nigeria: FG extends deadline for NIN-SIM linkage

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 …

Read More »

Excessive Lead in rural drinking water supplies in West Africa – study reveals

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 …

Read More »

Nairobi ranked top city in Africa for innovation – report

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 …

Read More »

Mobile phone users in Kenya and Nigeria increasingly targeted by malware apps – Report

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 …

Read More »

Nigeria to clear backlog of passport applications soon – Minister

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 …

Read More »

Germany chooses Ghana to host Centre for Global Health and Pandemic Prevention

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 …

Read More »

Kenyan eco-friendly footwear brand wins sustainable design contest

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, …

Read More »

How to verify the genuineness of your Nigerian driving licence online

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 …

Read More »

UN calls on Uganda to end post-election crackdown

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. …

Read More »

Mexico returns stolen artefact to Nigeria

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 …

Read More »

Opinion: Why Tanzania had a peaceful transition

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 …

Read More »