Francophone West African countries have decided to rename their common currency CFA franc as the Eco. Côte d’Ivoire’s President Alassane Ouattara announced the decision during a press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in Abidjan on 23 December, showing that it was a decision jointly reached with France. The currency is used by Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Côte d’Ivoire, …

The Nigerian federal government on Tuesday (24 December) ordered the release of the convener of #RevolutionNow protests, Omoyele Sowore, who has been in detention since August. The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, announced the decision in a statement. The move followed mounting local and international pressure on the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari …

Germany’s federal police chief said a lack of pre-deportation facilities is hampering the deportation of rejected asylum seekers and illegal foreigners to third-countries. Germany is struggling to deport rejected asylu-seekers, the country’s top police chief said on Wednesday. Federal police chief Dieter Romann blamed a lack of pre-deportation facilities for deportations not being carried out. Speaking to Germany’s Funke media group, he said …

Charlotte Nzimiro launched the ongoing petition against the scandalous judgement of the State Constitutional Court of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern), de facto recognising that the word “Neger” (Engl. Nigger, Negro) could be used to describe people of African descent in Germany. Nzimiro’s petition, launched on 20 December and which has already gathered more than 42,000 signatures within 2 days, calls for …

To commemorate Nelson Mandela International Day (18 July) in 2020, the United Nations will  confer an honorary award on two laureates, one female and one male who shall not be selected from the same geographic region of the world. The United Nations Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize, which is awarded every five years, honours individuals for their outstanding achievements and contributions …

Activist launches petition campaign for the classification of “neger” as a racist word in Germany after eastern state court gives AfD member the right to call people of African descent by the derogatory word. AfD is a xenophobic, extreme right-wing party. The state constitutional court of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) ruled on Thursday (19 December) that sanctioning the leader of the …

To reduce the crowds at its airports and enhance the security and comfort of passengers, the government has issued a directive calling on both private and official travellers not to bring friends, relatives and staff to the airport The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced that no individual or government agency will henceforth be allowed to escort passengers …

Since the beginning of this year, Angola has recovered more than $5 billion stolen from state coffers by members of the former government, both at home and from abroad, Justice Minister Francisco Queiroz said on Monday (16 December), amid a two-year crackdown on corruption by the government of President Joao Lourenco. The money, including $3 billion stolen from the sovereign …

Nigeria has lost over $400 billion to foreign havens, Justice Minister and Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami (SAN) has said. The minister said the cash was stolen by corrupt leaders and their foreign accomplices including multinational companies. Malami spoke on Monday (16 December) at the eighth session of the Conference of the State Parties to the United Nations Convention …

Are you a highly qualified young professional and you are not older than 35 years? Do you have several years of working experience, strong leadership qualities and a high level of dedication? Are you from a country in Africa? If yes, then apply until 10 January 2020 for AFRIKA KOMMT! The fellowship programme​ offers the opportunity of a fully-sponsored one-year …

Third edition of Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs profiles the progress and achievement of women entrepreneurs across 58 societies around the world   The third edition of the Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs (MIWE) has listed three African countries as global leaders in terms of women-owned businesses. Uganda, Ghana and Botswana are ranked as the top three countries with the …

The African Network in Germany (TANG) celebrated the concluding forum of its municipal development policy (kommunale Entwicklungspolitik) activities on Saturday, attracting participants, ranging from German government officials and communal politicians to representatives of African diaspora organisations. Declaring the event open, Dr Sylvie Nantcha, chairman of TANG, gave a brief introduction of the organization, a network of more than 600 African …

Nigerian journalist Kayode Oladeji recounts his unforgettable encounter with Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, who died on 7 December, eighteen years ago. And how he and his colleagues who collaborated on the German-born Christian missioner’s crusade experienced an uncommon turn in their lives. I was heading for a social engagement, a wedding program to be specific, on Saturday, 7 December 2019, when …

Millions of Nigerians live and work in the diaspora and they send billions of euros back home annually. In 2018, remittances of Nigerians living abroad amounted to about €20 billion, according to figures released by the Central Bank of Nigeria in March. Most of the funds are sent to friends and relatives for various purposes, with real estate, food, education …

A delegation of 19 students from the Otto-Friedrich University of Bamberg on Monday (16 December 2019) paid a study trip to the Uganda Embassy in Berlin where they were met by Mr Fred Moses Mukhooli, Counsellor, on behalf of Ambassador Marcel Tibaleka. The students who will be representing the Republic of Uganda at the simulation conference National Model United Nations …

International Journalists’ Programmes (IJP) offer scholarship to six young African and five young German journalists. For two months the African participants will have the chance to work in Germany and will be integrated into the day-to-day journalism of their host newsroom while also researching stories for their home media. Journalists, aged 25 to 40, from Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of …

The African Leadership Magazine Persons of the Year Awards committee has unveiled the winners for different categories in the just concluded polls for the publication’s Persons of the Year Awards, with Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, a Nigerian and president of the African Development Bank, emerging African of the Year 2019. Adesina was also recently chosen as the African of the Year …

Turkish Airlines will not have their operating licence suspended by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) as earlier speculated, but they have been warned to improve on their services. Aviation minister has also sounded a note of warning to all other airlines operating in Nigeria. The Acting Director-General of the NCAA, Abdullahi Sidi who confirmed this to Channels Television said …

It’s important that the community of people of African descent in Germany recognises Hamado Dipama and his kind for we’re all beneficiaries of the fruits of their labour.

Nigeria will issue visas on arrival to all African passport holders effective January 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari has announced. His tweet of the move on Thursday confirmed an earlier tweet on Wednesday by Somalia’s Foreign Affairs Minister. Ambassador Ahmed Awad wrote: “I wish to profoundly commend President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria who just announced at the Aswan Forum complete visa …