Nigerian singing legend Olanrewaju Abdul-Ganiu Fasasi, more famously known as Sound Sultan, has died. The rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, comedian and recording artist, who is regarded as one of the pacesetters of modern hip hop music in Nigeria, died on Sunday, 11 July in the US of throat cancer. He was 44. Tributes continue to be paid to the artist. …

By Prof David Monda* On July 4th, 1776, the preamble to the American Declaration of Independence emphasized the centrality of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to the ideals of the new American nation. While America advanced lofty ideals on this day, the reality of balancing its ideals and its interests in Ethiopia, almost a century and a half later, have …

Nigeria has officially proposed to the German government to return all the Benin artefacts in Germany, which has agreed to repatriate hundreds of antiquities which were looted from the Benin Kingdom in 1897, within a period of one year. Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the proposal during a round-table with German museum directors and government …

Africa’s newest nation, South Sudan, gained independence on 9 July 2011. It was an event that marked a turning point after decades of wars for liberation from Arab-dominated Sudan and which was celebrated in sub-Sahara Africa and across the globe by friends of the long-suffering people of the country. Unfortunately, the first decade of South Sudan’s independence has been marked …

Our contributing editor and Duesseldorf-based journalist Tina Adomako writes on the deteriorating climate for human rights and democracy in the West African country that traditionally enjoys the image of a role model for democratic governance in the continent Ibrahim Kaaka Mohammed – better known as Kaaka – was part of a group of civil society activists in Ghana. Using the …

The Corona pandemic is particularly deadly in Namibia. Recalling Germany’s colonial past, aid organisations and celebrities are sounding the alarm and calling on the German government to send vaccine to the African country. More than 250 organisations and individuals are calling on the German government to provide rapid and comprehensive aid to Namibia to enable the African country to effectively …

By Titilayo Adewumi, Regional Sales Director: West Africa at SAP LAGOS, Nigeria, 6 July 2021 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/- While organisations across West Africa work to recover from the economic impact of the pandemic, the global cybercrime industry is going into overdrive. An increasingly sophisticated cybercrime industry is launching a range of attacks aimed at organisations and critical infrastructure. Such attacks …

A powerful Nigerian delegation visited Berlin on Wednesday, 7 July 2021, to pursue the return of the famous Benin bronze heads and other cultural artefacts that were pillaged from that country in the 19th Century during a punitive expedition of the British Army. Led by Information and Culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the delegation included Mr Godwin Obaseki, the Governor …

The international committee of the All African Music Awards (Afrima) has announced the 2021 event calendar at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, marking the opening of Afrima 2021. This year’s calendar features a lineup of undertakings and events that would take place between 20 June and 21 November 2021. Speaking on behalf of the African Union, the …

The annual African Book Festival Berlin holds on 16-17 July. The festival, which was held for the first time in 2018, brings together the best-known authors and artists from Africa and its diaspora for lectures, discussions, readings, interviews, concerts, theatre and spoken word performances. Each year, the festival goes far beyond the mere presentation of new books and authors, as …

Every month there are new laws and other legal changes. July 2021 is no different. Whether minimum wage increase, single-use plastic ban, compulsory measles vaccination or digital Covid-19 vaccination card: We have all the relevant changes at a glance! ——- Statutory minimum wage increases From July 2021, the minimum wage will increase by 10 cents from 9.50 euros to 9.60 …

Derek Chauvin has been sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison for killing George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American man, in May 2020 by a court in Minneapolis. The punishment falls short of prosecutors’ request of a 30-year sentence. Delivering the verdict on Friday, Judge Peter Cahill said he based his decision on Chauvin’s abuse of his position and the cruelty …

The German chapter of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) has elected a new executive committee. The election was part of the body’s annual general meeting, which took place virtually on Saturday, 26 June. Femi Awoniyi was elected unopposed to lead the NIDO Germany as President for the next two years at the event. He replaced Dr RosaLyn Dressman who …

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The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Germany e.V. (NIDO Germany) holds its annual general meeting on Saturday, 26 June. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the event, to which all members are invited to attend, takes place virtually this year. The Annual General Meeting (AGM), an important democratic practice, is a forum for an organisation to take stock of its activities and …

Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo says the death of Zambia’s founding father and long-term leader, Kenneth Kaunda, on Thursday (17 June) has ended a long list of African leaders who fought colonialism and took over the reins of power at independence. Obasanjo in a statement he issued on Thursday evening, said Africans should be consoled by the fact that Kaunda …

Dubai airline, Emirates has suspended passenger flights to and from Nigeria till further notice. This was announced on Monday, 21 June and the suspension takes effect immediately. The announcement comes 48 hours after restrictions on direct flights between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates were lifted after a long-standing disagreement between both countries. The dispute was over the use of …

Qatar Airways’ network will increase to 14 weekly flights to Murtala Muhammed International Airport, starting 1 JulyQatar Airways’ customers from Africa can enjoy new baggage allowances ranging from 46 Kg for Economy Class split over two pieces and 64 Kg split over two pieces in Business Class DOHA, Qatar, 22 June 2021-/African Media Agency (AMA)/- In response to high demand, …

The Zimbabwean author and filmmaker Tsitsi Dangarembga has been named the recipient of the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade 2021. The Prize honours personalities who have contributed to the realisation of the idea of peace in literature, science or art. “In her films, she addresses problems that arise from the clash between tradition and modernity,” explained Karin Schmidt-Friderichs, …

The President of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Germany (NIDOG), Dr RosaLyn Dressman, has been appointed the Diaspora Focal Officer (DFO) of Bayelsa State. The appointment makes Mrs Dressman the chief adviser to the state’s governor, Senator Duoye Diri, on all matters concerning the diaspora. The DFO also officially liaises between the government of Bayelsa State and indigenes of Bayelsa …