News

President Biden’s first foreign policy speech and its implications for Africa

President Joe Biden’s first foreign policy speech on 4 February was high on ideals but low on priorities for Africa and the developing world. It reminded me of the idealistic vision of Jimmy Carter when he came to power in 1976. Carter’s rhetoric was loaded with idealism of a world cooperating for global peace, without appreciating the limits of American …

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Angry reactions as Nigeria bans buying, selling of cryptocurrency

Following a directive banning cryptocurrency trading by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerians have expressed strong displeasure of the decision of the federal government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari. In a circular dated 5th February 2021, the CBN notified banks and other financial institutions against doing business in Crypto and other digital assets. According to Wikipedia, a …

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Nigeria’s Okonjo-Iweala set to lead WTO as rival withdraws

Former Nigeria’s minister of finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is set to become the first African, woman to lead the seat of 164-member World Trade Organisation. Coast is clear for her to emerge for the top job as the United States government under the administration of President Joe Biden endorsed her on Friday, in what was expressed as a ‘strong support’, according …

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Interview: Efforts to drive Russia-Africa relations receiving new impetus

In an exclusive interview with our Moscow correspondent Kester Kenn Klomegah, a member of the newly created Public Council under the Secretariat of the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum, Armen Khachatryan, argues that the first Summit held in October 2019 ultimately seeks to inject a new dynamism into Russia-Africa relations. According to Mr Khachatryan, who is also Deputy Chief Executive Officer and …

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NIDOE presents Award to Nigerian Ambassador in Berlin

The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE) presented its Leadership Service Award 2020 to His Excellency Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic Nigeria to Germany, on Monday, 1 February 2021. The award is in recognition of the envoy’s “excellent and outstanding personal achievements and leadership” and his “immense contributions to National Development”. While presenting the award at …

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Black Lives Matter movement nominated for Nobel peace prize

Norwegian parliamentarian Petter Eide has nominated Black Lives Matter movement for the Nobel Peace Prize 2021. According to him, the movement had forced countries other than the US to face up to racism within their own societies. “Black Lives Matter has become a very important worldwide movement to fight racial injustice. They have had a tremendous achievement in raising global …

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Coronavirus: Germany imposes travel ban on UK, South Africa, others

To slow down the spread of particularly contagious coronavirus mutations, the federal government has drastically restricted entry from Portugal, Ireland, Great Britain, South Africa and Brazil into Germany beginning from Saturday (30 January). According to the new ordinance passed by the federal cabinet, airlines, rail, bus and shipping companies are in principle no longer allowed to transport passengers from these …

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UN chief publicly receives coronavirus vaccine in New York

The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, received his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday in New York, a UN statement said. “I was fortunate and grateful to get the first dose of my COVID-19 vaccine today,” Guterres said after getting his shot. “We must get to work to make sure the vaccine is available to everyone, everywhere. Our world …

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Forbes releases Africa’s Billionaires 2021 List

The international business magazine Forbes has released its annual list of Africa’s most wealthy individuals. According to the report, the continent has 18 billionaires this year, down from 20 in 2020. Together, they are worth $73.8 billion, slightly more than the $73.4 billion aggregate worth of the 20 billionaires last year. Aliko Dangote of Nigeria is the richest person in …

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South African president urges rich countries to stop “vaccine nationalism”

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday urged the world’s wealthiest countries to stop “hoarding” vaccines and called for an end to “vaccine nationalism.” In remarks delivered at the World Economic Forum’s virtual Davos Agenda event, Ramaphosa cautioned that some countries had ordered more supplies of vaccines than they needed, and that this was counterproductive to the global recovery effort. …

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34,000 migrants arrived Italy by sea in 2020 – UNHCR

The number of migrants who arrived in Italy by sea increased significantly last year, inspite of the coronavirus emergency, according to the UN refugee agency. Nearly 40% of newly arrived migrants were Tunisians. 34,154 migrants arrived in Italy by sea in 2020, according to UNHCR Italy. That’s three times as many as in the previous year — in 2019, a …

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Biden reverses Trump’s visa ban on Africa, Muslim countries

Newly inaugurated US President Joe Biden has reversed placed on some Muslim countries by former US president Donald Trump in January 2017. Citizens of Sudan, Libya, Somalia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen were banned from entering the United States following the ban.  “When visa applicants request entry to the United States, we will apply a rigorous, individualized vetting system. But …

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Africa’s COVID-19 death rate now higher than global rate

According to a new report of the global news agency Reuters, Africa’s coronavirus case fatality rate stands at 2.5%, higher than the global level of 2.2%, a trend that is alarming experts. Earlier in the pandemic, Africa’s death rate had been below the global average, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) head John Nkengasong is quoted as …

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Museveni wins Uganda’s presidential election

President Yoweri Museveni has been declared winner of the 2021 Presidential election by the country’s electoral commission. According to the commission on Saturday (16 January), Museveni won a sixth term in office with 58.6 percent of the vote, in an election disputed by his main rival Bobi Wine who trailed with 34.8 percent. “The electoral commission declares Yoweri Museveni… elected …

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Hundreds of thousands leave Britain due to coronavirus pandemic – Report

Hundreds of thousands of people have left Britain due to the effects of the pandemic on the economy, a new study carried out by the London’s Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence has revealed. The study said that there is an “unprecedented exodus” of workers born outside Britain. According to the authors, “It seems that much of the burden of job losses …

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Africa faces big hurdles to acquire COVID-19 vaccines

Our contributing editor Kester Kenn Klomegah writes on the difficulties African countries face to access coronavirus vaccines as the producers struggle to immunise their own populations and worldwide demand outstrips global production capacity —- With its large population and fragile health systems, Africa has recorded more than three million Covid-19 cases, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and …

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ALM: WHO’s Tedros Ghebreyesus, Ghana’s Akufo-Addo, Mo Ibrahim Emerge Winners

PORTSMOUTH, United Kingdom, January 13, 2020 -/ African Media Agency(AMA)/- The African Leadership Magazine Persons of the Year Awards committee has unveiled the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as the African of the year 2020; the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, as the African Political leader of the year 2020; Graca Michel as the African …

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Uganda: International personalities back Bobi Wine, call for free elections

Here’s a statement issued by international personalities, from Adam Clayton to Bishop Desmond Tutu, from Wole Soyinka to Mary Robinson, calling for free and fair elections and a stop to the intimidation of Bobi Wine and other opposition leaders as Uganda goes to the polls: —– Please Help Bobi Wine and the People of Uganda Urge the International Community to …

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