The 14th Afrika Film Festival in Cologne, the biggest of its kind in Germany, will present 83 films from 25 African countries and play host to 30 international filmmakers on 15-25 September. The theme of the biennial event this year is “Sisters in African Cinema” giving an insight into the current filmmaking exploits of women in 13 African countries and …

Koroma woos foreign investors for post-Ebola growth Sierra Leone is still counting the costs of the Ebola epidemic, not least on its economy which contracted in 2014 and 2015, after several years of solid growth. Now the West African country is trying to woo back investors and attract new ones. Though Sierra Leone has been declared free of the dreaded …

Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng has been voted German Footballer of the Year by sports journalists in Germany, the German magazine kicker said. Boateng won the vote by a landslide after getting 163 votes, far more than fellow Bayern players Thomas Müller (95) and Robert Lewandowski (90). Boateng is the first defender to win the accolade since Bayern Munich and …

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has licensed 11 new International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs). The new entrants are joining Western Union, MoneyGram and Ria, which had been cleared by the CBN in early August. The new operators are Trans-Fast Remittance LLC; WorldRemit Limited, UAE Exchange Centre LLC; Wari Limited, Homesend S.C.R.L, Small World Financial Services Group Limited and Weblink …

Benin’s President Patrice Talon has promised to turn the fortunes of his country around by the end of his five-year term in office. He made the declaration in Paris recently during his first official visit to Europe since his election in March. Talon said leaders must improve the lot of their citizens. “Those who govern have the responsibility to eradicate …

African women from across Europe and guests from Africa gathered recently at the prestigious Maritim Hotel in the western German city of Dusseldorf. The conference with the theme “Leadership and Integration for Change” was attended by more than hundred participants. The meeting was organised by African Women in Europe ( AWE ). Founded in 2008 by Joy Wanjiru Zenz and …

The German city of Frankfurt will again host the Nollywood Film Festival Germany (NFFG) and its sister event Nollywood Europe Golden Award (NEGA) on 9-10 September. The yearly event, organized by Ehizoya Golden Entertainment e.V., features Nigerian film screenings, seminars and a variety entertainment show, among other activities. A highlight of the festival this year is the première of a …

Sequel to the decision of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) allowing only three companies to offer money transfer services to the country, MoneyGram International, Inc. has announced a renewed commitment to its operations in Nigeria. The CBN decision, announced on 2 August, named Western Union, MoneyGram and Ria as the only officially licensed providers of remittance services to Nigeria. …

The leaders of Germany, France and Italy have vowed that the European Union would survive the UK’s exit. They also urged more co-operation on security and job creation and help for young Europeans in an effort to lay the groundwork for an informal summit on the future of the EU without the UK, which will take place on 16 September …

The first single to be released from Michael Kiwanuka’s new album ‘Love and Hate’ is ‘Black Man in a White World’ is now topping the UK chart. Kiwanuka wrote the song based on his experiences growing up in London: “I feel like, ‘Black Man In A White World’ seems to be resonating a bit. Obviously I wrote it for what’s …

As the 2016 general elections draw nearer the first line of Ghana’s national anthem, “God bless our homeland Ghana and make our nation great and strong”, is the prayer on the lips of every Ghanaian. And Ghanaians living in Germany are no exception as they look forward to the polls, which are to hold on 6 December. Organised by the …

Investigators in Germany have reenacted the death of Oury Jalloh, a Sierra Leonean who police claim set himself alight in a cell while his hands were shackled. Campaigners are convinced he was murdered. After eleven years of campaigning, fund-raising, and at least three independent fire tests, state prosecutors in Dessau, eastern Germany have re-staged the death of Oury Jalloh, a …

One study has found that entrepreneurs with foreign backgrounds in Germany have created around 1.3 million jobs in Germany. The study said the cliché of migrants owning Dönner shops and kiosks does not reflect reality. The number of business-owners with migrant roots and the people they employ has risen in Germany, according to a Bertelsmann Foundation study released recently. “We …

On a recent tour of Senegal, Niger and Rwanda, German Development Minister Gerd Müller repeated his call for a Marshall Plan for Africa. But is a post-World War II-style recovery program realistic or even necessary? Gerd Müller makes his way on foot across the arid field in Cayar, a small town in Senegal. After a few steps, he reaches the …

The United Kingdom decided to end its European Union membership at the referendum of 23 June. Actual exit will not commence until the British government invokes Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. British Prime Minister Theresa May has indicated this will not be rushed and will not happen this year. Our contributing editor and London-based legal scholar Sylvester …

This year’s Africa Fashion Week Amsterdam (AFWA) takes place from 25 to 27 August at the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam. Emerging fashion designers from 24 countries will take part in the three-day event, celebrating African and African-inspired fashion, art and cultural heritage. AFWA 2016 kicks off with a press conference on 24 August, providing an opportunity for the media …

Germany’s interior minister has called for new anti-terror measures. Media report that some of Thomas de Maiziere’s plans could take effect without the approval of the lower house of parliament. German newspapers report that Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere intends to present new measures that he says will and could take effect without the approval of the Bundestag, the lower …

Afrika-Verein demands more action from the German government as Uganda’s President Museveni makes case for investing in Africa. The federal government must do more to encourage a greater engagement of German companies in Africa, demanded Dr Stefan Liebing, chairman of Afrika-Verein, at this year’s German Africa Business Day in Berlin. He called for the removal of hurdles preventing German companies …

A new charity album, Beating Heart-Malawi, is giving a new lease of life to decades’ old African music. The project began when Chris Pedley became aware that such an archive existed. “I got in touch with the International Library of African Music, which Hugh Tracey founded in 1954, and through the research I found out that he recorded over 250 …

The news headlines on the recent municipal elections in South Africa have one thing in common: that the governing African National Congress (ANC) lost and hence is losing its dominance of the country’s political landscape. The 2016 municipal elections elected the members of the district, metropolitan and local municipal councils in all 9 provinces, who, in turn, will elect the …