News

One of the oldest living Germans of African descent has passed on. Theodor Wonja Michael died in Cologne on Saturday (19 October), aged 94. Michael, who was born on 15 January 1925 as the youngest of four children to a father from Cameroon and a German mother, was one of the few remaining Black Germans who lived through the horrors …

Income inequality is reversed when Africans migrate to Europe, according to a new UN study about the reasons for moving. Although much higher earnings are a factor, intolerance at home often cements the decision. Nik Martin reports. African women earn, on average, 11% more than African men when they migrate to Europe, a United Nations Development Program (UNDP) study published …

In the latest right-wing act of violence that has roiled the country, a gunman attacked a synagogue on 9 October in the eastern city of Halle. Unable to enter the Jewish worshiping house, he shot and killed two people on the street. German security officials want more authority to target and prevent far-right violence. Among the proposals on the table …

While 60% of the working age population in Africa are employed, many of the jobs are lacking in dignity, decent pay, security and social protection.  Young people are more affected by this as they constitute the majority  of the population, and also have fewer opportunities for jobs with dignity. 

Contacted, Adetola Olubajo, President of the Nigerian Union South Africa, said that the national secretariat had been informed about the incident.

The unemployment rate in the European Union has dropped to its lowest level in more than 19 years, Eurostat has announced. According to the EU’s official statistics agency, unemployment in the bloc stood at 6.2% in August, down from 6.3% the month before and from 6.7% in August 2018. That amounts to more than 15.4 million men and women out …

The Chairman of the South East Governors Forum, David Umahi, said they had resolved to meet with Buhari following fears that the airport could be abandoned.

The chocolate industry is worth more than $80 billion a year. But some cocoa farmers in parts of West Africa are poorer now than they were in the 1970s or 1980s. In other areas, artificial support for cocoa farming is creating a debt problem. Farmers are also still under pressure to supply markets in wealthy countries instead of securing their own …

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Friday kicked off UberBOAT – the pilot phase of Uber’s boat service in Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos. The launch took place at the Lagos State Waterways Authority complex’s Five Cowries Jetty in Falomo. Speaking during a media parley, the governor said his government was committed to building infrastructure that supports multi-modal transportation, which includes water transport. …

The Ethiopian Prime Minister, who was awarded the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, is surely a reformer, but he predominantly garners recognition beyond his country’s borders. Despite the Nobel committee’s well-meaning intentions, it’s the wrong choice, argues German journalist and head of Deutsche Welle’s Amharic desk, Ludger Schadomsky. Despite a number of somewhat questionable recipients — such as former US …

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has issued a directive temporarily barring all members of the cabinet and heads of government agencies from travelling abroad. The new directive was announced Friday evening by Willie Bassey, the director of information in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. “Sequel to the presentation of the 2020 Appropriation Bill by Mr …

Jacklyne Achieng Kuhn started the group to offer Kenyan women a platform where they can support, interact and uplift each other.

Migrants with a good command of German language have the same opportunities on the German labour market as natives. This is the result of a study conducted by the Cologne-based Institute of German Business. With the same level of education and good German language proficiency, migrants, according to a new study, equally earn high wages as natives. Accordingly, higher levels …

Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has won the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for “for his efforts to achieve peace and international cooperation, and in particular for his decisive initiative to resolve the border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea.” The Nobel committee said during its announcement Friday that the coveted prize was also meant to recognize all the stakeholders working for peace …

The only MP of African origin was reelected in 2019 to represent the eastern city of Halle in the Bundestag.

Members of the Nigerian community, associates and friends gathered on 2 October, at the main cemetery in the German city of Mönchengladbach, to bid the final farewell to Dr Daniel Yakubu Kutchin. The Nigerian scholar, IT expert and development activist died on 7 August at the age of 57.   A brief Christian funeral service preceded the interment of the …

More than 1,000 migrants and refugees have died in the dangerous crossing of the Mediterranean since the beginning of the year, according to the UN. This will be the sixth year in a row with more than 1,000 deaths in the Mediterranean in a year, said the UN International Organization for Migration on Tuesday in Geneva. Since 2014, at least …

While there is still much to do and many mountains to climb, I just thought to scribble down a few thoughts about what it is we love to love about this absolutely amazing country

National courts in EU member states can order Facebook to delete content “worldwide”, Europe’s top tribunal has ruled, in what the US social media giant called an attack on free speech. If content was deemed “illegal” by a national court, then Facebook could be ordered to “remove information covered by the injunction or to block access to that information worldwide”, …

Organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE) and hosted by its Ireland chapter, the event will discuss issues of concern to Nigerians abroad as well as those surrounding the Diaspora role in national development.