News

German companies are unsettled by the postponement of Senegal’s presidential election, originally scheduled for 25 February but which has now been shifted to 15 December. The unprecedented move has called into question the West African country’s reputation for democratic stability in a region beset by military coups. “The postponement of the elections in Senegal – and this shortly after the …

Military coups are becoming fashionable in Africa again. In the past five years, elected governments have been toppled by the army in four countries in West Africa alone. Citizens openly call for the military to take over these days out of frustration with the politicians. A Nigerian writer and poet Lola Shoneyin pleads with Africans to give democracy a chance. …

Lagos has been ranked as the 19th best city to visit in the world, according to Time Out, a global magazine that publishes travel guides and magazines. Apart from Lagos, South Africa’s Cape Town (ranked second) and Ghana’s Accra (44th) were the only African cities that featured on the list, issued by the London-based publication. Time Out, which tags itself …

A new study has revealed the most affordable European countries in which to take out a personal loan, with Luxembourg claiming the top spot. Loan experts Lånea analyzed data from Trading Economics, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Numbeo to create an index of the European countries most affordable for those wanting to take out a personal …

The Head of the Education Department of the Council of Europe, Villano Qiriazi, unveiled inspiring insights into the European Qualifications Passport for Refugees (EQPR) at the UNHCR Global Refugee Forum held in Geneva. The event was dedicated to the sharing of best practices and achievements among national and international actors. The EQPR is a special international tool developed to assess …

At the Italy-Africa Summit, Rome promotes its plan to create jobs and opportunity in Africa and discourage its young people from making dangerous journeys across the Mediterranean Sea. Africa demands action instead of empty promises. Italy, which has just assumed the Presidency of the G7, has unveiled a €5.5 billion plan to support African development, which it hopes will stem …

The unexpected withdrawal of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has stoked fears of an uncertain future for the regional bloc. In a joint statement on Sunday, the leaders of the three countries declared that they had made the “sovereign decision” to quit the organisation of 15 member countries. For months now, …

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has finalised plans to launch a self-service application system next month. The commission said the new system would allow Nigerians in the diaspora to seamlessly enrol for their National Identity Number (NIN), a set of eleven digits assigned to Nigerians of all ages and legal residents by the Nigerian government and issued and managed …

Slovenia, Ukraine and Serbia have the poorest presidents in Europe Heads of state across Europe usually earn four times the average salaries of their taxpayers and cost them €49.62 per hour Bulgaria, Slovakia and Ireland pay their presidents the most compared to average earners Slovenia has the poorest president in Europe. Relative to average salaries, the presidents of Ukraine and …

By Bakary J. Janneh In recent weeks, the actions of the Tunisian Police Force towards African migrants within the country have raised serious concerns and prompted an outcry from human rights advocates. Reports have surfaced detailing instances of the burning of migrants’ habitats and the destruction of their food supplies, painting a grim picture of a gross violation of human …

The Bundestag, Germany’s lower house of parliament, approved the new “Repatriation Improvement Act” (Rückführungsverbesserungsgesetz) on 18 January. The law provides for a significant tightening of deportation rules. Among other things, the maximum period of pre-deportation custody is to be extended from 10 to 28 days. The number of cases in which public prosecutors are to be involved in deportations from …

In a world where Nigerian emigration is commonly referred to as ‘japa,’ signifying a desperate escape from a challenging environment, Olusegun and Oyetola Akande, the visionary founders of Sami’s Online African Foods, are breaking stereotypes and paving the way for a new narrative. This enterprising couple have not only travelled abroad but have also made a remarkable impact by establishing …

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of Ghana has officially launched a policy on how the country would engage its citizens living across the globe in national development efforts in their homeland. The Diaspora Engagement Policy was unveiled at a ceremony on Wednesday in Accra. Highlighting the significance of the Ghanaian diaspora, estimated to be between 1.5 and 3 million citizens …

An EU observer mission witnessed the recent presidential election in Liberia. Dr Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, Member of the European Parliament who was a member of the mission, writes about what they witnessed in Liberia and her views on the future of the country ____________________ The change of government took place in accordance with democratic principles and the laws in force in …

On Thursday evening (30 November 2023), the Vice-President of the German Bundestag, Katrin Göring-Eckardt, presented the German Africa Award 2023 to the 1st National Women’s Convention for Peace in Cameroon at the Allianz Forum in Berlin. The award, which was awarded to a collective for the first time in 30 years, recognises the Women’s Peace Platform’s pioneering work in promoting …

Dr Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, MEP: “However, some Member States of the European Union are reluctant to legislate, as well as to introduce, for example, the notion of consent. Yes, it’s yes and No, it’s no! It shouldn’t be complicated to understand”/Photo: © Dr Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana Here’s the message of Dr Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, Member of the European Parliament representing Germany on the …

German Africa Prize 2023 goes to the Cameroonian women’s peace platform “1st National Women’s Convention for Peace in Cameroon”. The Deutsche Afrika Stiftung e.V. (German Africa Foundation), organisers of the award, has announced. The Prize will be presented to the organisation by the Vice President of the German Bundestag Katrin Göring-Eckhardt at a ceremony on 30 November at the Allianz …

At a meeting of the Council of the EU’s permanent representatives committee on Thursday, EU member states agreed to update the conditions under which third-country nationals can acquire EU long-term resident status. In order to acquire EU long-term resident status, third-country nationals have to legally and continuously reside in a member state for at least five years. This EU status …

The Nigerian government has warned its nationals against travelling abroad without proper documentation to avoid the unpleasant consequences of irregular migration. The Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa, stated this when she visited some Nigerians in one of the shelters in Brampton, Canada. A statement released via the commission’s handle on X Thursday, warned Nigerians who have the …

Dr Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana, a member of the European Parliament representing Germany, has announced that she would seek reelection next year. “It has been a great honour for me to work for our Alliance 90/The Greens in the European Parliament since 2019 to realise the vision of a fairer, more humane and sustainable world,” Ms Herzberger-Fofana said in a public announcement …