People from Germany’s list of “safe” countries rarely have the right to asylum. Keith Walker and Timothy Jones of Deutsche Welle look at what the list means for asylum-seekers in Germany. Germany’s constitution defines as “safe countries of origin” the ones “in which, on the basis of their laws, enforcement practices and general political conditions, it can be safely concluded …

Femi Awoniyi, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of The African Courier magazine, writes on the annual general meeting of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe which took place on 8-10 November in Vienna, Austria. The general meeting of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE) takes place once in a year and it brings together Nigerians from different walks of life, from across Europe. …

Events were held across Germany on Monday (12 November) to mark the centennial anniversary of women’s right to vote. “Today, no one will laugh when a little girl says she wants to be a minister or the German chancellor,” Chancellor Angela Merkel said at an event in Berlin. She however warned against setbacks in women’s rights. The fact Germany has …

Over 2 million Unintended Pregnancies & 735,000 Unsafe Abortions Prevented Since July 2017 A groundbreaking international report released today (12 November) shows over 1.7 million additional users of modern contraception in Nigeria since 2012, as the government works to expand family planning services. The report shows modern methods of contraception have prevented over 2 million unintended pregnancies and 735,000 unsafe …

Kenneth Gbandi has been re-elected the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE) for a second 2-year term. Hon. Gbandi was returned unopposed at the biannual election, which took place on Saturday (10 November) in Vienna as part of the activities of the group’s annual general meeting. It’s the first time that a chairman of NIDOE would be …

Femi Kuti and his band, the Positive Force, will rock the German capital city on Saturday 17 November in what organisers have promised will be a show to remember. The eldest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, who started his musical career in the band of his father “Egypt 80”, will be performing live in Berlin for the first time …

Gents Club Berlin celebrated its first anniversary with a big get-together in the German capital city on Saturday, 3 November. Members of the socio-cultural-humanitarian association and their families joined by invited guests turned out in beautiful, colourful attires to mark the first birthday of the club, founded by a group of Nigerians. It was an evening of good music, supplied …

President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Abike Dabiri-Erewa as the first chairman and chief executive officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM). Ms Dabiri-Erewa, who is currently the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, was a member of the House of Representatives representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency in Lagos from 2003-2015. Nigeria Senate president, Bukola Saraki, …

Nigerians from across Europe will gather in Vienna, Austria, on 8-10 November for the annual general meeting of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE). The event, which will also be attended by dignitaries from Nigeria, is a special one. A new executive council of NIDOE will be elected in Vienna, an event that takes place every two years. Moreover, …

A community of African bloggers is slowly emerging in Germany with a growing number of bloggers who share their personal experiences for others to learn from, creating a veritable platform for information exchange. A Berlin meeting brought them together for the first time last Friday. Femi Awoniyi reports. African bloggers gathered in Berlin on 2 November for the first Afro-Bloggers …

The Mo Ibrahim Foundation has released its annual assessment of the quality of governance in African countries. The 2018 Ibrahim Index names Mauritius as the best-governed and Somalia the worst-governed among the 54 countries in the continent. The Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) ), which was launched in 2007, is generated by measuring Safety & Rule of Law, Participation …

According to the EU’s statistical office, Eurostat, unemployment in the 28-member state EU stood at 6.7% in September 2018, the lowest monthly rate since January 2000. Eurostat also noted that the unemployment rate among the 19 EU states using the euro stood at 8.1 percent in September, the lowest since 2008. Compared with September 2017, unemployment fell by 1.793 million …

Former Ghana Football Association President Kwesi Nyantakyi has announced that he would be heading to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) to appeal against a decision by FIFA to ban him for life. FIFA handed a life-ban from all football activities to Nyantakyi on Tuesday for various violations of their ethics code, including bribery and corruption. He was also …

Nigerians in the Diaspora are very concerned with the situation of their home country which is why it’s always the main topic whenever they gather. The time of talking seems to be nearing its end as some are now venturing into the political terrain at home to make their impact felt. One of the Diaspora Nigerians contesting at the country’s …

The UN migration agency has launched a radio series in Nigeria to sensitise vulnerable people seeking to pursue economic opportunities abroad on the perils of irregular migration. The International Organisation of Migration (IOM) said no fewer than 37,550 Nigerians arrived on Italian shores in 2016 while many went missing or died. The UN agency warned that migration done outside the …

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for more private investment in Africa as she hosted African leaders as part of a concerted effort to drive the continent’s economic development and create jobs for its millions of unemployed youths. In her opening address on Tuesday at the G20 Compact with Africa Summit, taking place in Berlin on 30-31 October, Merkel said …

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has opened Istanbul’s new airport, expected to become the world’s busiest. Erdogan named the new facility Istanbul Airport, ending months of speculation over its name, on Monday. “Istanbul is not only our largest city,” he said before a massive crowd of dignitaries, officials, and journalists, gathered beneath the vaulted ceiling of the airport terminal, “It …

William Ijeh, a senior official of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), is vying for one of the global organisation’s top positions at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2018, taking place in Dubai from 29 October-16 November. Mr Ijeh, a Nigerian national who has worked with the Geneva-based ITU for 21 years, is a candidate for the post of Director, Bureau of …

Presidents and heads of government of eleven African countries are to participate at the G-20 Compact with Africa (CwA) conference, hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin. The event, Investment Summit-German Business and the CwA Countries, taking place on 30-31 October brings together “reform-minded” African countries, international organizations and bilateral partners from the G20 to advertise investment opportunities in …

“I will not be seeking any political post after my tenure ends,” Angela Merkel told a news conference in Berlin on Monday. After 18 years, Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced her decision to step down as the leader of the governing CDU. Merkel made the announcement on Monday after a meeting of the party’s leadership in Berlin. “This chancellorship is …