awoniyi270514

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

Sowore’s political organisation registered by Nigerian government

The Take it Back Movement (TiB), founded by rights activist Omoyele Sowore, has announced that it has been registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission as a socio-political organization. In a press release issued on Sunday, the Movement described the registration as “the latest milestone in our journey towards being the political anti-thesis of the unconscionable government of the day in …

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Digital Rights Media Fellowship opens to African journalists

Early-career African journalists working for mainstream print and online newspapers can apply for this fellowship. The Paradigm Initiative is accepting candidates for its Digital Rights and Inclusion Media Fellowship. The application process is now open for the third edition of the Paradigm Initiative Digital Rights and Inclusion Media Fellowship. The Paradigm Initiative Digital Rights and Digital Inclusion Media Fellowship 2020 seeks to embed …

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Angelique Kidjo dedicates Grammy Award to Burna Boy

Angelique Kidjo’s Celia won the Best World Music Album award at the 2020 Grammy awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night, ahead of other nominees including Altin Gün (Gece), Bokanté & Metropole Orkest Conducted By Jules Buckley (What Heat), Burna Boy (African Giant) and Nathalie Joachim With Spektral Quartet (Fanm D’Ayiti). It marked Kidjo’s her fourth win in the category.   The Benin Republic-born …

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Short Story: Voyage across the sea of death

Originally titled ‘Evanesce’, Berlin-based legal scholar and creative author Nelly Sarpong writes on a fictional precarious journey across the Mediterranean in a rickety boat overfilled with African migrants, revealing the perils faced by thousands of migrants every year in their quest for better life in Europe.

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Why democracy is not delivering for Africans and what to do – former Nigerian minister

While most African countries hold regular elections, the people are not satisfied with the performance of their elected leaders. According to opinion polls, most Africans feel that they are yet to enjoy the economic fruits of democracy. Why has democracy not delivered economic dividends? At an event in Berlin, a Nigerian economist and former federal minister, Obiageli Ezekwesili, addressed the …

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Germany: How Black community can engage the state for its empowerment

A panel discussion on how the Black community could engage the state for its empowerment was part of the People of African Descent Week which took place recently in Berlin. Panellists, including Berlin minister for justice, looked at how problems faced by Black people could be solved through community engagement with the government. The historic People of African Descent (PAD) …

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Christians persecuted in Nigeria amid deafening silence – Catholic priest cries out

On Christmas day, 11 Christian hostages were killed, 10 of whom beheaded, by Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria’s north-eastern Borno State and the chilling video of the dastardly crime circulated by the Islamic fundamentalists. On 20 January, Reverend Lawan Andimi, a clergyman, was also beheaded by the same terrorists. The plight of Christians in northern Nigeria is very precarious. A …

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US restricts visas for pregnant women to stop ‘birth tourism’

The Trump administration has issued a new rule  instructing United States consular officials to deny pregnant women visas unless they can prove “to the satisfaction of the consular officer” either that they are not traveling to the US to give birth, or that they have a legitimate medical reason to give birth in the country. In the latest immigration control measure, the United …

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Free Coding Training for African Youth in Berlin

African Youth Abroad Empowerment (AYAE), a non-governmental organisation dedicated to educating, enriching and empowering the youth, is holding its first ever Free Coding BootCamp in collaboration with Leap Academy on 8 February in Berlin. According to the largest English-language news network in Europe, The Local’s publication of 9 January 2019 titled “Germany and Poland compete to fill labour gaps”, Germany …

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Germany: Empowerment Centre for Africans opens in Dortmund

The western German city Dortmund will witness the grand opening of a centre for Africans on 31 January. Afrika-Haus promises to be a veritable centre for community empowerment, as it’s a place to seek help to the myriad of issues faced by African migrants, as well as an entertainment hub. Afrika-Haus Dortmund, established by the non-governmental organization AfricanTide Union e.V., …

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Janngo pledges €60 million at Davos to back African startups

Janngo unveils Janngo Capital Startup Fund, its €60m Venture Capital fund dedicated to financing tech-enabled startup accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa, with a €15m anchor investment by the European Investment Bank On the eve of its participation to the 50th World Economic Forum, Janngo pledges 60€ million to back technology startups with a double bottom …

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Ghana signs agreement with Siemens to address electricity challenges

Germany’s technology company Siemens has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Ghana to address the country’s energy and infrastructure challenges, while contributing to the country’s growth and development agenda of creating high quality jobs and enhancing the vocational skills of Ghana’s youth. The MoU was signed by Siemens and the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) in …

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African leaders gather in London for investment summit

African political and business leaders gather in London on Monday, 20 January for the UK-Africa Investment Summit. The Summit, hosted by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, brings together businesses, governments and international institutions to promote British investment in Africa. Taking place in the wake of Brexit, the Summit seeks to strengthen the UK’s economic position in African nations, which are …

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Lagos airport tightens security as it records higher passenger traffic

The Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos handled 187.49 million kg of cargo and 7.319 million passengers last year, figures obtained by the national newspaper PUNCH from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria have shown. The Manager, South-West Airports, FAAN, Mrs Victoria Shina-Aba, who reportedly gave the figures, said the MMIA witnessed increased growth in passenger, cargo and aircraft movement in …

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Berlin talks seek way out of Libya impasse

All the parties to the civil war in Libya will gather in the German capital city on Sunday in renewed efforts for peace in the North African country. Convened by Chancellor Angela Merkel, the talks bring together Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, who is the head of the United Nations-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), and Khalifa Haftar, commander of …

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Anthony Joshua presents heavyweight titles to Nigerian president in London

World heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has presented his IBF, WBA, WBO, and IBO titles to President Muhammadu Buhari. The 30-year-old celebrated his recent victory with President Buhari on Saturday in London when the Nigerian leader met with some Nigerians living in the United Kingdom. Excited Joshua, a British-Nigerian, could not hide his feelings as he prostrated to pay homage to …

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