News

The Italian chapter of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) has elected a new executive committee. The event, part of the annual general meeting of the body, took place on Saturday (13 July) in the city of Perugia. Dr Lawrence Akuwudike Ibekwe was re-elected Chairman for a new two-year term, a sort of approval seal for its leadership of the …

Around 50 percent of Germans are wary of Islam, a new study by Bertelsmann Foundation has found. In a study on religious diversity conducted by the highly influential NGO, one-third of the respondents see Islam as “enriching” German society. At the same time, half of participants said they view it as a “threat.” The pollsters blame the media for this …

According to the Federal Statistical Office, the population of Germany rose slightly by 227,000 in 2018. At the end of last year, 83 million people lived in Germany 10.1 million of who were foreigners, that is, inhabitants without German passport, the new report revealed. The proportion of foreigners in the total population increased from 11.7 percent to 12.2 percent in …

The 12-day Kenako Afrika-Festival, featuring live music concerts, bazaar, children’s workshop, culinary, fashion shows and more, ended on 14 July in Berlin. While the annual event celebrates Africa’s colourful, multi-facetted and rich cultures, it also takes a serious look at issues affecting the continent and its diaspora. The 2019 festival, under the motto ‘Africa in Global Context’, featured podium discussions …

If you want to move to Germany to join a family member or spouse, a German family reunification visa will allow you to live and work in Germany. However, applicants have to meet certain requirements, one of which is passing a German language test in their home countries. But too many spouse reunification visa applicants often fail due to the …

The Federal Government has appointed Dr Sylvie Nantcha as a member of a technical commission on migration. The task of the 24-member commission is to identify “the root causes of flight and irregular migration” and it has until the end of next year to make concrete recommendations for action on how to tackle the issues. Flight and migration are among …

Self-taught coder develops model for diagnosing breast cancer; looks to solve some of the continent’s biggest challenges and inspires youth across the continent as Africa Code Week Youth Ambassador for 2019. “It takes a village to raise a child”: as the Fourth Industrial Revolution sweeps across Africa and more of its youth develop coding and other digital skills, there may …

As I write this article, 44 migrants, mostly Africans, who were rescued in the Mediterranean by the humanitarian organisation Sea Eye off the Libyan coast on Monday, are desperately looking for where to be allowed to disembark in Europe. The migrants’ dilemma follows the Sea-Watch 3 controversy in June, when the rescue boat forcibly docked in the Italian port of …

Nigerians from across the globe will converge on their country’s capital Abuja on 24-25 July for this year’s Nigerian Diaspora Day. The annual event brings together foreign-based Nigerians and representatives of the federal and state governments to discuss areas of possible partnership in national development. The theme of this year’s Day, organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) in …

Six members of Cameroon’s President Paul Biya’s security staff have been convicted by Swiss judges investigating a reported attack on a journalist in Geneva on 26 June. The arrests took place last Tuesday, according to a statement by canton Geneva’s justice department. Four of the guards were given a four-month suspended prison sentence, and two were given a three-month suspended …

Cameroon’s President Paul Biya has been privately visiting Switzerland for a long time. The Hotel InterContinental in Geneva with its swimming pool and view of Mont Blanc is the residence of choice for the Cameroonian presidential couple. A report by the Wall Street Journal in November 2018 said that since Biya became head of state in 1982 the hotel is …

Fifty-three migrants, mostly sub-Saharan Africans, were killed on Wednesday when a faction in the Libyan civil war carried out an air strike that hit a migrant detention centre near Tripoli. More than 130 others were injured. The internationally-recognised Government of National Unity (GNA) blamed the attack on forces loyal to renegade General Khalifa Haftar, but his militants have denied it. …

Brain drain is a major challenge facing the Nigerian health system, leading to a dramatic reduction in the number of doctors in the country. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Nigeria is one of the three leading African sources of foreign-born physicians. Olayinka Stephen Ilesanmi, Lecturer, Department of Community Medicine, University of Ibadan, explains why doctors are …

The weeks-long standoff between Sea-Watch 3 and the Italian government ended with the arrest of Captain Carola Rackete, who has now been freed. But international maritime law and a country’s own laws often don’t chime, say experts. Carola Rackete, captain of the search and rescue vessel Sea-Watch 3, was arrested on Saturday by Italian authorities for “resisting a warship” after …

Yohannes Gedamu, scholar and university teacher, explains how Ethiopia’s federal system is responsible for the political turmoil in the country despite Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s efforts to liberalise the democratic space. For almost three decades Ethiopia’s federal structure – enshrined in the country’s 1994 constitution – has been defended by the ruling coalition, the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front. It’s …

It’s always easier and more convenient to enjoy a new country when you have a tour guide. You hardly miss your way going around since you are led by an experienced person who knows the nooks and crannies of the place. This is why the association of German journalists of migrant origin, called “Neue deutsche Medienmacher” (New German Media Professionals), …

Saturday, 29 June 2019 has gone down in history as the day citizens of an African country protested angrily in Europe against their visiting president to the notice of the international media. About 250 Cameroonian exiles carried out a protest action in front of the luxurious InterContinental Hotel, where President Paul Biya and his wife were staying, in the Swiss …

All roads lead to the city of Bremen on 7 July when the 13th African Football Cup 2019 kicks off. A total of 16 national teams representing their countries of origin in Africa will lock horns for the prestigious trophy over five Sundays. The participants in the tournament, organised by the Pan-Afrikanischer Kulturverein e.V. (Pan-African Cultural Association), represent members of …

Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, ICC, Gambian Fatou Bensouda has been hit with a visa ban by the United States government over her office’s decision to probe alleged war crimes by Americans. She has been investigating US forces and their allies in Afghanistan, a move that United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cautioned last month and said could …

The search for the 32-year-old Kenyan woman, who was declared missing in April has ended with the tragic discovery of her decomposed remains in a forest. Rita Awour Ojunge, mother of two, was reported missing on 7 April by her husband in the town of Hohenleipisch, in the state Brandenburg. The police on Tuesday announced that after many weeks of …