News

Roch Kabore the incumbent President of Burkina Faso, has  won the election with 57.87 per cent of votes, according to the election body Independent National Electoral Commission on Thursday. Having won more than 50 per cent of the total ballots cast, Kabore has secured enough votes to avoid a second round. In a message posted on his social media platforms …

Argentine football legend Diego Maradona has passed away at the age of 60 after suffering a cardiac arrest, according to multiple reports. He had a heart attack at his home just two weeks after leaving hospital where he underwent brain surgery. Days after celebrating his 60th birthday, the Gimnasia coach had been hospitalised after complaining of low spirits and fatigue …

The European Commission is seeking to better integrate migrants and Europeans with migrant backgrounds into larger society. The Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, unveiled its action plan on Integration and Inclusion for the period 2021-2027 on Tuesday (24 November). The plan aims to promote inclusion for all, “recognising the important contribution of migrants to the EU and …

Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. It is the day set aside annually by the United Nations to raise global awareness of the fact that women around the world are subject to rape, domestic violence and other forms of violence and to highlight that the scale and true nature of the issue is often …

The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation, NIDO, on Monday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to include its representatives on the board of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, in accordance with the act establishing the commission. The Chairman of NIDO Europe, Dr Bashir Olalekan Obasekola, made the call during a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria from his base …

Confederation of African Football (CAF) president, Ahmad Ahmad, has been banned for five years by FIFA for breaching various codes of ethics, according to a statement released by the global football body’s ethics committee on Monday. The 60-year-old, who is also a vice-president of FIFA, was found guilty of breaching four separate articles of the organization’s ethics code, including abuse …

After several months of flight suspension caused by the coronavirus pandemic, German Lufthansa, Air France and the Royal KLM will be offering flights to Lagos and Abuja again starting on 7 December.  Since the beginning of the global health crisis, no airline has operated direct flights between Nigeria and the European Union, as the Nigerian government had imposed a reciprocal …

The Nigeria government has threatened to sanction CNN over its recent report on the shooting of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers in Lagos on 20 October. The country’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, described the report as “irresponsible journalism”  at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday. The press briefing, which according to him, was convened to address lingering …

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has expressed optimism that the Nigerians in Diaspora Investment Summit (NDIS), which began on Friday, would be a platform for diaspora investors, partners, collaborators to interact with government agencies, in a direct round table, for mutual benefit. NiDCOM’s CEO/Chairman, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said this at the opening ceremony of the third edition of NDIS, holding …

Nigerians in diaspora have praised the appointment of the immediate past Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE), Hon Kenneth Chibuogwu Gbandi, as the Deputy National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), one of Nigerian opposition parties. With the appointment, announced in a letter jointly signed by the National Chairman and National Secretary of the party, Chief …

The Embassy of Nigeria in Germany has issued a public notice calling on people dealing with the Embassy to report any officials or other persons who demand bribes or any other illegitimate gratifications from them. The Notice, dated 17 November 2020, reads: “The general public is hereby informed to report cases of persons soliciting for money or any form of …

A migrant organisation has criticised Germany and Austria for deporting people to Nigeria amid the coronavirus pandemic. According to Nigerian media reports, 32 Nigerians were forcibly returned to Nigeria on a flight from Germany last Thursday (12 November). “It is unfortunate that the German government decided to embark on such a deportation operation especially at a time when Europe is …

Foreigners who are to be deported may not be visited at night, according to the Düsseldorf Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgericht Düsseldorf) in a new ruling announced on Tuesday (17 November). The court was of the opinion that persons to be deported have the right to night rest and as such should not be woken up in the middle of night like …

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has forbidden Switzerland from deporting a homosexual Gambian to his homeland. The Swiss authorities had failed to consider whether The Gambia would protect the man against attacks by non-state actors, the court ruled in Strasbourg on Tuesday. Therefore, the deportation would violate the prohibition of inhuman treatment if carried out. Switzerland must also …

The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE) has elected a new set of officials to pilot the affairs of the group for the next two years at its biannual annual general meeting. The event, held in Dortmund, Germany, and which ended on Saturday, was attended physically and virtually by more than 100 members of the Organisation.   Dr Bashiru Olalekan …

A coalition of Nigerian-American organisations in the US has pledged its support to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris. This was conveyed in a congratulatory message by the Organisation for the Advancement of Nigerians on behalf of 18 other professional, religious and socio-cultural bodies. “On behalf of Nigerian-American communities in the United States, please accept our warm congratulations on …

The Director-General of Nigeria’s National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Mrs Julie Okah-Donli, has been appointed as the new chair of the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons (UNVTF). A statement titled ‘Press release on appointment of DG NAPTIP as new chair of UNVTF’ by Olivia …

The Chinese government has on Friday, broken its silence on the US elections by congratulating the President-elect Joe Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris, according to media reports. The reaction was attributed to China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin. “We respect the choice of the American people. We extend congratulations to Biden and Harris. “We understand the results of the US …

“The morning of 7 November 2020 has shown the world that America’s long nightmare is finally over and better angels of our nature have prevailed,” writes David Monda* from New York. He analyses how the incoming Joe Biden’s administration will most likely interact with Africa, especially in the areas of economic relations and promotion of democracy.  —– The lesser angels …

African leaders have been paying tribute to the former president of Ghana, Jerry Rawlings, who died in the early hours of Thursday after a brief illness. Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, expressed his heartfelt condolences saying “the entire African continent will sorely miss the sterling qualities of the great leader”. He also said he believes that “the passion, discipline …