FEATURES

Furaha Kensmil explains why she feels like a foreigner in both Suriname, where she was born, and the Netherlands, where she has lived most of her life. Furaha delves into the complexities of the identity of the people of African descent in the Netherlands, which prides itself as a colour-blind nation. I find it difficult to call myself Dutch. The …

Ghana’s founding president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, died on 27 April 1972. To mark the 48th anniversary of his death, our senior contributing editor and author, Jojo Cobbinah, writes from Accra on a brilliant African intellectual and committed leader who did not spend his time marrying countless women, building mansions or stashing millions in foreign banks. Jojo (72), who witnessed Nkrumah’s …

100 African intellectuals have signed an open letter to leaders on the continent, urging them to look critically at the global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and to use the lessons from the crisis to spur “radical change”.  The letter, signed by academics, writers and activists from across the continent and the diaspora (*see list at the footnotes), makes …

The age grade system is an important feature of the culture of the Igbo people of Nigeria and other peoples in Africa. A modern role of this system, which builds sub-groups in a community according to the ages of their members, is the championing of community development. The following report is about Ogbo Midwest Igbuzo, an Ibusa age group in …

Our contributing editor Alexander Macbeth writes on how the Ghanaian novelist focuses on the experience of women from their perspective, exposing how male authors have long neglected the true desires and challenges of the continent’s women. Amma Darko’s tales of wise grandmothers, resilient daughters and strong-willed victims, often caught in difficult circumstances, have made her a favourite on both sides …

Alarmed by a rapid spread of Lassa fever, the Nigerian Academy of Science is calling on government to declare a national health emergency. Dr Doyin Odubanjo, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Academy of Science, explains the background to the current outbreak of the disease and what needs to be done to contain it. ———- How serious is the current Lassa fever outbreak …

The United Kingdom officially ended its 47 years of European Union membership on 31 January, ending the uncertainties that have characterised the bloc since 23 June 2016 when 52 percent of Britons voted to take their country out of the then 28-member bloc (now 27). Brexit however is yet to be fully consummated as the two sides still have to …

An insidious trend has emerged across Germany: More and more young women from Nigeria are being trafficked into prostitution. It is one of organized crime's most lucrative business models, but the ringleaders are rarely caught.  Marion MacGregor reports

Most of the large fishing vessels that operate in West Africa are from distant water fishing nations - such as countries in the European Union (EU) and China and Russia. To get permission to fish in West African waters they form agreements in exchange for a fee that is payable to the government.

‘Debates on Africa, in Africa, with academics and scholars from Africa’ is how Cologne-based journalist Tina Adomako describes the 2019 conference of the African Studies Association of Africa, which she attended in Nairobi, Kenya, on 24-26 October. Ms Adomako reports from the gathering of scholars who, among others, discussed issues around reclaiming African studies from the European perspective and decolonizing …

Getting work in Germany can be difficult, especially for migrants. Many end up working illegally, but if they are caught, the penalty can be as severe as prison or deportation. Marion MacGregor/InfoMigrants reports Krasimir has been living in Germany for two years with no fixed address or regular job. He often sleeps in an old van in a junkyard in …

The chocolate industry is worth more than $80 billion a year. But some cocoa farmers in parts of West Africa are poorer now than they were in the 1970s or 1980s. In other areas, artificial support for cocoa farming is creating a debt problem. Farmers are also still under pressure to supply markets in wealthy countries instead of securing their own …

Most often, media reports on immigrant communities in Europe focus on problems of residency status, accommodation, integration, poverty and crime. And the “newness” of it all. Little Lagos, however, is an established community with an impressive track record of achievement among its inhabitants. Nigerian school children in London perform well in academic exams and the British Nigerians boast a wide selection of business, sport, education and artistic successes, including Shirley Bassey, Sade and Ben Okri.

It is quite an achievement itself that OUR ROOTS has been a Black history cartoon column featured series for 30 years. It was first published in the UK’s Voice newspaper. The history of Black people must be illustrated and that is what Tayo Fatunla (whose artistic name is TAYO) has been doing through his journalistic drawings after discovering the need …

Professor Jason Osai* of the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, writes on man, religion and soul and how to achieve the eternally sought-after global peace devoid of want and war. Institutional religion has divided the world along a multiplicity of jaded philosophical and theological lines thereby creating socio-cultural and economic hedgerows that have pitched husband against wife, mother against …

Self-taught coder develops model for diagnosing breast cancer; looks to solve some of the continent’s biggest challenges and inspires youth across the continent as Africa Code Week Youth Ambassador for 2019. “It takes a village to raise a child”: as the Fourth Industrial Revolution sweeps across Africa and more of its youth develop coding and other digital skills, there may …

It’s always easier and more convenient to enjoy a new country when you have a tour guide. You hardly miss your way going around since you are led by an experienced person who knows the nooks and crannies of the place. This is why the association of German journalists of migrant origin, called “Neue deutsche Medienmacher” (New German Media Professionals), …

Migrants in Germany are expected to learn the language and become familiar with the country’s history, culture and legal system. That’s where integration courses come in. But what exactly are these courses, who can participate, and how many people are taking part? Benjamin Bathke reports. According to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) statistics, more than one million …

Distribution of Nigerian movies on Netflix started around 2015. Alessandro Jedlowski, a scholar at the Free University of Brussels, Belgium, takes a look at the global streaming giant’s intervention in the Nigerian film industry and predicts what long-term impact this could have on the worldwide marketing of Nollywood. Global streaming service Netflix set its eyes a few years ago on …

Many new immigrants and refugees are allowed to work. The question is, are they able to work in the same profession they were trained for in their home country? Rey Azizi reports. In Germany, you need to go through a recognition procedure for certain job categories which are regulated by law. Here’s what you need to know in order to …