Across the globe, Africa is putting its spin on the fashion industry. Major fashion markets like Berlin are embracing African fashion, art and culture, and locally, the apparel market is worth USD$31 billion, according to estimates by Euromonitor International. While the African fashion retail industry remains in its infant stages, there has been notable progress in recent years as the industry embraces …

After several months of flight suspension caused by the coronavirus pandemic, German Lufthansa, Air France and the Royal KLM will be offering flights to Lagos and Abuja again starting on 7 December.  Since the beginning of the global health crisis, no airline has operated direct flights between Nigeria and the European Union, as the Nigerian government had imposed a reciprocal …

The Nigeria government has threatened to sanction CNN over its recent report on the shooting of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers in Lagos on 20 October. The country’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, described the report as “irresponsible journalism”  at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday. The press briefing, which according to him, was convened to address lingering …

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has expressed optimism that the Nigerians in Diaspora Investment Summit (NDIS), which began on Friday, would be a platform for diaspora investors, partners, collaborators to interact with government agencies, in a direct round table, for mutual benefit. NiDCOM’s CEO/Chairman, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said this at the opening ceremony of the third edition of NDIS, holding …

Nigerians in diaspora have praised the appointment of the immediate past Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE), Hon Kenneth Chibuogwu Gbandi, as the Deputy National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), one of Nigerian opposition parties. With the appointment, announced in a letter jointly signed by the National Chairman and National Secretary of the party, Chief …

The Embassy of Nigeria in Germany has issued a public notice calling on people dealing with the Embassy to report any officials or other persons who demand bribes or any other illegitimate gratifications from them. The Notice, dated 17 November 2020, reads: “The general public is hereby informed to report cases of persons soliciting for money or any form of …

A migrant organisation has criticised Germany and Austria for deporting people to Nigeria amid the coronavirus pandemic. According to Nigerian media reports, 32 Nigerians were forcibly returned to Nigeria on a flight from Germany last Thursday (12 November). “It is unfortunate that the German government decided to embark on such a deportation operation especially at a time when Europe is …

In view of the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on international trade, a group representing German companies doing business with Africa has warned that the Corona crisis could reverse the continent’s economic successes of the past decade if counter measures are not taken. It’s calling on the German government to take concrete steps to stabilise German-African economic relations in …

Foreigners who are to be deported may not be visited at night, according to the Düsseldorf Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgericht Düsseldorf) in a new ruling announced on Tuesday (17 November). The court was of the opinion that persons to be deported have the right to night rest and as such should not be woken up in the middle of night like …

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has forbidden Switzerland from deporting a homosexual Gambian to his homeland. The Swiss authorities had failed to consider whether The Gambia would protect the man against attacks by non-state actors, the court ruled in Strasbourg on Tuesday. Therefore, the deportation would violate the prohibition of inhuman treatment if carried out. Switzerland must also …

The coronavirus pandemic is dealing a heavy blow to economies across the world with unemployment, especially among youths, soaring in most countries.  African youths are the worse affected, considering the situation of the continent even before the outbreak of the global health crisis. For example, whereas about 12 million young Africans enter the labour market every year, only 3 million …

424 scholarship slots have been offered to Nigerian students to study various courses in Saudi universities, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia has said. In a statement on Monday from the Saudi embassy in Abuja, 150 slots are also given to students from the Republic of Benin annually. It said the slots are part of the 6,597 scholarship the kingdom distributes …

The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE) has elected a new set of officials to pilot the affairs of the group for the next two years at its biannual annual general meeting. The event, held in Dortmund, Germany, and which ended on Saturday, was attended physically and virtually by more than 100 members of the Organisation.   Dr Bashiru Olalekan …

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has been awarded the Women’s Prize for Fiction ‘Winner of Winners’ for her novel Half of a Yellow Sun.  The book was voted the best book to have won the Women’s Prize for Fiction, formerly known as the Orange Prize and the Bailey’s Prize, in its 25-year history. The Nigerian-born author, who won the prize in 2007, …

A coalition of Nigerian-American organisations in the US has pledged its support to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris. This was conveyed in a congratulatory message by the Organisation for the Advancement of Nigerians on behalf of 18 other professional, religious and socio-cultural bodies. “On behalf of Nigerian-American communities in the United States, please accept our warm congratulations on …

The Director-General of Nigeria’s National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Mrs Julie Okah-Donli, has been appointed as the new chair of the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons (UNVTF). A statement titled ‘Press release on appointment of DG NAPTIP as new chair of UNVTF’ by Olivia …

The Chinese government has on Friday, broken its silence on the US elections by congratulating the President-elect Joe Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris, according to media reports. The reaction was attributed to China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin. “We respect the choice of the American people. We extend congratulations to Biden and Harris. “We understand the results of the US …

A total of 41 Sierra Leonean students awarded Chinese Government scholarships this year have received financial support to augment their online studies, the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone said on Friday. The Embassy said that the students were awaiting their departure for various universities in China in 2021. “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all the international students have to take …

“The morning of 7 November 2020 has shown the world that America’s long nightmare is finally over and better angels of our nature have prevailed,” writes David Monda* from New York. He analyses how the incoming Joe Biden’s administration will most likely interact with Africa, especially in the areas of economic relations and promotion of democracy.  —– The lesser angels …

African leaders have been paying tribute to the former president of Ghana, Jerry Rawlings, who died in the early hours of Thursday after a brief illness. Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, expressed his heartfelt condolences saying “the entire African continent will sorely miss the sterling qualities of the great leader”. He also said he believes that “the passion, discipline …