About ten weeks after the Bundestag elections, the new Federal Government is in office. The Social Democrat Olaf Scholz has been elected as the new Federal Chancellor by the federal parliament. Carsten Hauptmeier introduces Angela Merkel’s successor. The social democrat Olaf Scholz heads the new governing coalition of the SPD, Greens and FDP as federal chancellor. Olaf Scholz, who already …
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Opinion: Mauritius’ efforts to become plastic free through private-public collaboration
Mauritius is set to become a plastic free island that will help protect the nation’s wildlife and place the country on the path to a green economy. Early this year single use plastics were banned in and over the next three years the Mauritian government will be putting in place further regulations and restrictions to rid the island of plastics. …
Read More »Legendary global African marketer honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 8 December 2021/ African Media Agency (AMA)/: The Financial Mail Adfocus has honoured renowned marketer, Thebe Ikalafeng, with the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to marketing, branding and the industry in a standout global African career that spans over 25 years. The Jury agreed that not only is Ikalafeng a legendary marketer, but what set …
Read More »Germany: New laws, other changes in December 2021
Like in every month, new laws and other changes enter into effect in December 2021. We have summarised the most important ones for you here. —- Prescription drugs become 20 cents more expensiveOn 15 December, a law comes into force that makes prescription drugs more expensive. The prices for pre-packaged medicines will generally increase by 20 cents. Deutsche Bahn Winter …
Read More »Berlin to host first Nigerian-German Trade & Investment Expo
The first Nigerian-German Trade & Investment Expo will hold in Berlin on 12-13 May 2022. Making the announcement at the General Meeting of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Germany, held on 3 December, Femi Awoniyi, the group’s president, said the event would boost economic relations between both nations. Organised collaboratively by NIDO Germany and the Abuja-based The African Trade …
Read More »Adama Barrow reelected Gambian president
Incumbent president of The Gambia, Adama Barrow, has won the country’s presidential election held on Saturday December 4. Mr Barrow, who contested the election under the flagship of the National People’s Party (NPP), polled 457, 519 votes to defeat his closest rival, Ousainou Darboe, of the United Democratic Party (UDP). Mr Darboe garnered 238, 253 votes, according to results released …
Read More »COVID-19: Ethiopian beauty queen on how vaccine hesitancy nearly cost her her life
Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), 29th November 2021 -/African Media Agency (AMA)/- I am Murielle. Former beauty queen. Executive. Mother of three. If there is one thing that characterises me at first sight, it is elegance. I’m always dressed to the nines, perched on high heels. I am the kind of woman you meet in the big African capitals. I should also …
Read More »Nigeria revises COVID-19 protocol for travel into country
Nigeria’s latest travel protocol, which will take effect from 5 December 2021, stipulates new rules for vaccinated and non-vaccinated travellers entering the country and updates the last one issued on 22 October 2022. The Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19 revised international protocol for travel into Nigeria, stipulating that all travellers arriving in Nigeria, either vaccinated or unvaccinated, must present …
Read More »Ford Foundation, Open Society launch Fund against Sexual Violence in West Africa
With $3.75 million in seed funding, Kasa! hopes to raise $10 million in total to support sexual violence survivors and feminist and women’s rights organisations over the next five years LAGOS, Nigeria, December 3, 2021 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/- Today, the Ford Foundation and Open Society Initiative for West Africa, announced their commitment of $3.75 million to launch Kasa! Ending Sexual …
Read More »Africa must bring down the institution of mediocrity – PLO Lumumba at 2021 G-PAD Forum
Prof Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba, renowned Kenyan intellectual and founder of the PLO Lumumba Foundation, has opined that despite the paucity of public funds to finance development in most African countries, the situation was not dire as they’re generally believed to be. Speaking on the second day of the 2021 G-PAD Forum, the professor of law was of the conviction …
Read More »G-PAD: Speakers identify main challenges to sustainable development in Africa
Distinguished speakers from different walks of life addressed the 2021 G-PAD Forum on Thursday 25 (November), discussing the issues surrounding sustainable development in Africa. Among the keynote speakers at the opening of the conference, holding on 24-25 November with the theme ‘Transformative Partnerships for Sustainable Development in Africa’, were Philip Keil, Executive Director, SEZ – Foundation for Development Cooperation, Baden-Württemberg; …
Read More »Nigeria: Minister announces launch date of new national airline
Nigeria’s new national carrier is expected to take off in April 2022, the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, has announced. This follows the approval for the establishment of the national carrier, called Nigeria Air, by the federal cabinet on Wednesday at a meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Sirika, who made the announcement …
Read More »Germany: High number of asylum-seekers’ appeals succeeds in court – report reveals
More and more refugees are becoming successful in appealing against a negative asylum decision. In the vast majority of cases, they are granted protection status by the courts. The Left party complains about “political pressure” on the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. A growing number of refugees are successful in appealing against the rejection of their asylum application. In …
Read More »Germany: New study on why Germany needs many more new immigrants
The labour force in Germany, the number of people who are potentially available to the country’s labour market, will decline in the long term due to demographic changes. Even with an increasing labour force participation rate of women and older people and an annual net immigration of 100,000 people, the labour force will decline from 47.4 million in 2020 to …
Read More »African hairdressers act as mental health first aiders, new study shows
Women and mental health in Africa: as part of its signature Heal by Hair program, the Bluemind Foundation unveils a report of cross studies between African women and their hairdressers Lomé, Douala, and Paris, November 22, 2021,-/African Media Agency (AMA)/- According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 66 million women suffer from depression and anxiety disorders in Africa, and …
Read More »Alison Kabuya wins Cantu Curl Awards Germany with ‘supernatural fantasy look’
Last Friday, dreams came true for 25-year-old student Alison Kabuya from Frankfurt when she was chosen as the new CANTU Ambassador 2022 at the CANTU CURL AWARDS 2021 in Germany. Her supernatural fantasy look “Black Midas”, inspired by Greek mythology and styled on a male model, not only won the public votes but also inspired the expert jury. Alison’s supernatural …
Read More »Germany adopts new tough measures against fourth wave of coronavirus infections
In view of the rising infection figures, the federal states and the federal government on Thursday agreed on far-reaching measures, which will enter into effect on 24 November and have adverse practical consequences for the unvaccinated. Soon only vaccinated and recovered people will be allowed into restaurants, cinemas, gyms etc. An overview of what the federal and state governments decided …
Read More »NIDO Germany holds conference on increasing diaspora impact on Nigerian development
The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Germany e.V. will launch a series of formal conversations on how the diaspora could have a more impactful effect on homeland development in December. The first edition of the ‘Development Roundtable’, as the series is called, will hold virtually on 4 December 2021, with the theme “Driving diaspora engagement towards the realisation of the …
Read More »Winners of the 2021 Africa Tech Festival Awards announced
Tobi Lafinhan, a Nigerian, has a background in civil engineering combined with over 4 years of experience working in leading organisations in West Africa across a variety of industries, including tech. He is currently the Co-founder of Venture for Africa, a fellowship program designed to fill talent gaps in Africa’s startup ecosystem by enabling top local and global fellows to …
Read More »G-PAD 2021 to hold fully virtually, Lead Africa International announces
The 2021 G-PAD Forum, taking place on 25-26 November and which was initially planned to be a hybrid event, will now hold only virtually. The organisers of the annual conference, Lead Africa International, a global non-governmental organization dealing with development issues, announced the change of format on Thursday, explaining that the rising coronavirus infection figures and the need to protect …
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THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.