Nigerians living outside the country have praised the passing of the Diaspora Commission Bill by the Senate. The Bill, after the President has assented to it, provides for the establishment of the Nigerian Citizens in Diaspora Commission to ensure the protection of Nigerians in Diaspora, and promote and facilitate their effective participation in economic, political and social development of the nation. …

It’s an inspiring story of how to turn adversity to advantage. After working on farms in southern Italy for pitiful salaries, in 2012 some migrants from West Africa decided to start their own agricultural co-operative near Rome. The business, which produces organic yoghurts and vegetables and delivers them by bike, is entirely environmentally friendly. Chloé Lauvergnier reports. The co-operative is called …

FIFA has granted media rights to five major broadcasting entities in the sub-Saharan Africa region for all 2017-2018 FIFA events, after an open tender process for 42 territories*. This includes the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The following broadcasters have been awarded certain media rights with regard to the 2018 FIFA World Cup: ▪ Econet …

 – MY LIFE IN GERMANY – A successful young African professional , a senior consultant at Oracle Germany, talks about his life from his roots in Cameroon to how he came to study and work in Germany, and the useful lessons he has learnt along the way. He gives invaluable tips to African students in the country. “I was born …

Fifteen footballers from Cameroon and one from Belgium have been detained in the Crimean village of Ordzhonikidze for attempting to stay in the country illegally. The players from FC Yaounde II, the second string of Cameroon premier division side FC Yaounde, were taking part in the Open Winter Cup organized by the Crimean Football Union (CFU) in February. For the …

Germany’s upper house of the federal parliament Bundesrat has approved the federal government’s plan to make drivers pay for using the country’s highways. Neighbouring countries have threatened to take legal action. Ben Knight reports. The Bundesrat finally passed Germany’s highway toll bill on Friday. The upper house of the German parliament, made up of the 16 state governments, voted for …

Overcoming barriers is part of every immigrant’s struggle. African women living in Germany have been sharing their experiences in a meeting intended to boost morale and better equip them to deal with life here. Abu-Bakarr Jalloh of Deutsche Welle (DW) reports. A group of women in colourful African dresses danced and sang songs familiar to everyone present. They were neither …

  Just a day after activists prevented a plane carrying dozens of Ghanaian and Nigerian would-be expellees from taking off at London’s Stansted Airport, 23 Nigerians were deported from the United Kingdom on Friday. The all male deportees, who were sent back to their home country for various immigration offences, arrived at the Lagos Murtala Muhammed International Airport at about …

  Abayomi Azikiwe, Editor of Pan-African News Wire, pays tribute to the politician, former political prisoner and anti-apartheid activist, who died on 28 March. “Kathy”, as he was popularly known, was elected to parliament in 1994  but declined to seek re-election five years later. He wrote an open letter to President Jacob Zuma, suggesting that perhaps he should step down …

Mauritians are the wealthiest individuals in Africa with an average wealth of US$25,700 per person, whilst people living in Zimbabwe are the poorest with US$200 per person. Interestingly, This was revealed in the just-published ‘AfrAsia Bank Africa Wealth Report 2017‘. Note: “wealth per capita” refers to the average wealth of a person living in each country. It excludes government held …

As from 1 April, some changes, ranging from the introduction of a new €50 banknote to additional regulations of temporary work, will enter into effect in Germany. And learners have to prepare for a more difficult driving license test!  —————————- New Restrictions for Temporary Agency Work From 1 April 2017, several changes to the German Law on Temporary Work (Arbeitnehmerüberlassungsgesetz …

An epic story, based on true events, about two people who loved each other so deeply, they risked losing everything to be together—their families, homes, even their countries opens in German cinema today. Vivian Asamoah reports. A UNITED KINGDOM tells the inspiring true story of Seretse Khama, the King of Bechuanaland (modern Botswana), and Ruth Williams, the London native he …

Speaker after speaker talked about the immense potential for greater German-African trade at the first Germany-Africa Business Forum (GABF) in Berlin recently. The event, which brought together entrepreneurs, CEOs, key opinion leaders and politicians, featured presentations on the challenges and prospects for doing business in Africa. In his keynote speech, former President Thomas Boni Boyi of the Republic of Benin …

It was drama at the Stansted airport in London on Tuesday as activists prevented the mass deportation of Nigerians and Ghanaians. The activists, working under the name Stop Charter Flights – End Deportations, blocked the runway of the Stansted airport carrying banners and chanting songs condemning deportations. A video recording showed some of them were under the wing of a …

In a bid to make travelling to the country easier and attract foreign investors, the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has launched an online Visa-on-Arrival (VoA) system. Visa on Arrival is a class of short visit visa issued at the port of entry. The new immigration service allows for visa applications without having to visit a Nigerian mission and can be …

Runway repairs at Nigeria’s Abuja Airport are now expected to last a further 18 weeks after it reopens on 19 April, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced. The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Nigeria’s capital has been closed since 8 March for extensive repairs to its runway. Flights are currently using Kaduna Airport while Abuja is closed, …

Britain formally launched the process for leaving the European Union today, nine months after the island nation voted to leave the EU. Britain became the first country ever to seek a divorce, striking a blow at the heart of the union forged from the ashes of World War II. Just days after the Union’s 60th birthday, Britain handed over a …

Netherlands-based journalist and publisher Iwa Adetunji* writes on how businessmen and women are silently driving development in Africa. As gloomy as it may seem here and there, Africa is indeed rising. Africa is rising not because its governments have suddenly woken up from their slumber. It is rising not because the benefits accruing from its vast natural resources are now …

The US and UK have issued directives to stop passengers from taking personal electronic devices in carry-on bags on flights from some countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a directive on 21 March which applies to ten airports and nine airlines. Passengers flying to the US from these airports will …

Germany’s Christian-Democratic Union (CDU) party won Saarland’s state election on Sunday, with 40.7 percent, far ahead of the Social-Democratic Party (SPD), with 29.6 percent. The closely-watched election in the small, western state, which was the first since Martin Schulz became SDP leader, was seen as a test for him and CDU’s Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of the September general elections. …